Jaromir Jagr: 'I want to play until (I'm) 50'

New Jersey Devils forward Jaromir Jagr is a veteran of 20 NHL seasons, and if he has his way, he'll play for at least eight more.

The 42-year-old told NorthJersey.com that he doesn't consider the upcoming season his final one:

I don’t think that way. I love the game. What I want to tell you is I don’t know if it’s going to be the last year in the NHL. If I stay healthy, it’s not going to be my last year in hockey. I want to play until 50, maybe more. But I want to play in the NHL if I’m good enough. I don’t want to just be here just to be here.

Jagr re-signed with the Devils in April on a one-year contract worth $3.5 million in base salary, plus up to $2 million in games-played bonuses.

The NHL legend says he still loves the game and will keep playing as long as that's the case:

The longer you play in the NHL, the better challenge you get for yourself. You’re facing the best players in the world. So, if I’m good enough to play in this league, I want to do it. If I’m not, I’m going to play somewhere else. But you have to stay healthy and you have to stay motivated and you have to love the game. So, that’s what I do. That’s what I love.

Jagr's 1,755 points are tied with Steve Yzerman for sixth all-time, and his 705 career goals rank him seventh in league history, three behind Mike Gartner.

The forward says he's not going to retire simply because of his age.

“(Just) because I’m over 40, there’s no rules that you have to stop playing. There’s no rules. It’s tougher because there’s a lot of young guys.”

Jagr says he welcomes the pressure of playing at the highest level.

"I told you I’ve got to be good enough to want to play in the NHL, so (the one-year contract is) extra pressure. I like the pressure.”

[H/T Pro Hockey Talk]