Jagr_flyersThanks to (@DLF1021) for the pic, which was not taken in the middle of the night

Classes start around 11 PM at the Flyers' practice facility in Dry Island Voorhees, N.J.

Really.

There’s a tremendous article on Yahoo! (!!!) Sports today about Jaromir Jagr, his work ethic, and influence on teammates. The most interesting part? The Flyers organization has given Jagr a key to the SkateZone so he can work out on his own… late in the evenings:

If they want, his teammates can come, too. Flyers winger Jody Shelley said they have a standing invitation.

“He calls it the ‘Jagr Hockey School,’ ” said Shelley, who has attended some night classes and makes them sound like a graduate course taught by a famous professor. “It’s just extra work, just extra stuff. He just has input on anyone’s game if they’re open for any ideas. He’s just got a lot of things to tell me and talk about. It would have been nice to meet him 20 years ago.”

 

Jeez, why do I get the sense that Mike Richards wasn't holding late-night self-betterment sessions?

Shelley (of all people) went on to say that Jagr’s presence is beneficial for "every… single… one… of us," indicating that 68 offers his advice to anyone willing to listen.

Enrollment is free and there is a standing invitation to all members of the team to show up for the Jagr Hockey School, presumably so they can learn to have Moves Like Jagr. Claude Giroux hasn’t attended yet, but he will, even though he said Jagr goes “pretty late.” 

Chris Pronger told Nicholas Cotsonika of Yahoo! (!!!) that Jagr called him before signing with the Flyers to ask about the Richards and Carter trades, along with the state of the team. Jagr, who was playing in Russia, hadn’t been paying too much attention to the NHL.

So far, Jagr has impressed teammates. Max Talbot:

“He’s the strongest guy in the league on the puck – by far,” said Flyers center Max Talbot, who used to face Jagr as an opponent and doesn’t like to face him in practice now. “I don’t want to hurt myself. He’s that strong.”

 

Apparently, Jagr also held his late-night workouts while with the Penguins, Rangers, and Capitals, but he always tried to keep them low-key. When asked why a future Hall of Famer would work out on his own late at night, Jagr replied: “Because the ice is free.”

Awesome read on Yahoo!.