Hockey: Jaromir Jagr has the most incredible playoff streak – ever

June 6, 2025

Feb 18, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins former right wing Jaromir Jagr (68) waves to the crowd at the conclusion of warm-ups against the Los Angeles Kings at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Jaromir Jagr hasn’t laced up his skates for an NHL game since the 2017-18 season, yet his influence on the league remains deeply embedded — especially as the 2025 Stanley Cup Final approaches. With the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers set to face off for hockey’s ultimate prize, a truly astonishing streak tied to Jagr continues: for the 45th consecutive year, at least one of his former teammates will be appearing in the Stanley Cup Final.

Yes, you read that right. Every single year since 1980, a player who either was or would go on to be Jagr’s teammate has played in the Final. What makes this feat even more remarkable is that Jagr didn’t even make his NHL debut until 1990. Still, over his storied 24-year NHL career — during which he suited up for nine different teams — Jagr’s path intersected with a staggering number of elite players who have kept this streak alive.

The chain began with Bryan Trottier, a member of the New York Islanders dynasty of the early ’80s. Trottier later played alongside a young Jagr on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early ’90s, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992 — Jagr’s only championships. From there, the web of connections began to grow rapidly, as Jagr moved around the league and played with future and former stars alike.

The list of players is a who’s who of NHL names from multiple eras, including Mark Messier, Joe Mullen, Brendan Shanahan, Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Mark Recchi, Kris Versteeg, and Matt Cullen, to name just a few. Even when he wasn’t directly tied to the Final through NHL teammates, his international career picked up the slack. For example, during the 2022 Final, Ondřej Palát kept the streak alive thanks to being Jagr’s teammate on the Czech national team at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

In recent years, current Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has taken up the mantle. Barkov played with Jagr during his late-career stint in Florida, and now appears in his third straight Stanley Cup Final (2023, 2024, 2025), continuing the legacy. Another surprising name this year is Brett Kulak of the Edmonton Oilers. Though Jagr never played for the Oilers, Kulak shared ice with him during his time in Calgary in Jagr’s final NHL season.

Even Brad Marchand — who played with Jagr during his brief tenure with the Boston Bruins in 2013 — is now part of this extensive lineage. Though he and Jagr came up short that year against the Chicago Blackhawks, Marchand’s presence on the Panthers roster this year helps keep the streak alive.

This incredible record may just be one of the most unbreakable streaks in professional sports. It’s a testament to Jagr’s longevity, versatility, and the vast reach of his career. Decades after his debut — and even years after his NHL farewell — Jagr’s legacy is still skating strong on the league’s biggest stage.

This might end up being the most unbreakable streak in sports history.