Jaromir Jagr is a Czech hockey icon, and despite his advanced age (42), he’s still capable of performing at the highest level. He’s currently a member of the New Jersey Devils and is set to play another season in the NHL. However, there is a lot of hard work behind his success.

The first time Jagr played in the World Championship was in 1990, when he helped Czechoslovakia to the bronze medal. He then went overseas and joined the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they won the Stanley Cup in his rookie season of 1990/1991. In the spring of 1992, the Penguins repeated as Stanley Cup champions, which was the reason Jagr wasn't able to return home and represent Czechoslovakia on home ice in Prague and Bratislava that same spring.

Twelve years later, Jagr finally represented his home country on home ice. His Washington Capitals had missed the playoffs, which freed him to play in the 2004 IIHF World Championship. In seven games, Jagr scored five times and assisted on four more goals. He was third in tournament scoring with nine points, and was voted into the tournament All-Star Team, but he definitely wanted more.

He led his team into the quarter-finals against the USA. He scored in 27th minute, but it wasn't enough to help his Czech team advance. The game went to overtime, then a shootout, and Jagr hit the goal post in the third round. The Czechs lost and were eliminated.

By the time of the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Jagr will be 43 years old. After the 2014 tournament in Minsk he declared his retirement from the national team. However, fans still believe that Jagr can be talked into playing one more year in his home country.