Jaromir Jagr had better things to do.
The Florida Panthers winger will turn 44 on Feb. 15, and he's been open about wishing he didn't have to attend All-Star weekend in Nashville, even though he was voted in by the fans as captain of the Atlantic Division.
"I have to be here," Jagr said. "I don't want to be suspended."
Jagr wasn't hoping to get to the beach for a few days, or looking to sit back and read a book. He has work to do.
"I was planning to work a little bit harder, because during the hockey season you don't really have much time to practice," he said, according to NHL.com's Arpon Basu. "So I was hoping in these 10 days ... to do a lot more to get better on the ice and to get stronger. I didn't have a chance, but that's OK. I'm not complaining."
Jagr, who is 43, on how old he feels: "42."
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Forty-three, and he'd rather be practicing and working out. That's Jagr's secret, after all.
"I love the idea of the All-Stars and it's good for the fans," he said. "But for me personally, at my age, I know what I need for the rest of the season and maybe the playoffs."
The Panthers lead the Atlantic Division - the playoffs are in sight. And Jagr hasn't played for the Stanley Cup since 2013. But "it's not about the Cup," he added, saying that it's about the journey, about spending time with his teammates, about each game, and, most of all, about suffering.
"You have to earn it," Jagr said.
It's been a milestone season for Jagr, as he passed Marcel Dionne on the all-time goals list, and needs five goals to take third place from Brett Hull. But it isn't about the personal accolades. It never has been.
"Just to play at my age is a big challenge every day. Just to play and somehow be helpful for the team, that's my record," Jagr said.
