He is one of the best hockey players of all time.
But who is the sharpest Swede in hockey history, according to Jaromir Jagr?
– He would dominate today, says the Czech, who nods Peter Forsberg, Nicklas Lidström and Börje Salming.
Jaromir Jagr is one of the world’s greatest hockey players of all time, and it is clear that there have been few who have played the sport as long as him. Jagr played in the NHL for well over 20 years, and is still playing in the Czech Premier League.
Points out the best Swede
Over the years, Jagr has of course played against some of the world’s best players of all time, and he has faced quite a few Swedes. In Swedish hockey, there is often a debate about who is actually the greatest Swede of all time. The answers are often Peter Forsberg, Nicklas Lidström or Börje Salming.
But when Jaromir Jagr was asked a few years ago, he opted out of the trio for a slightly more unexpected name. The first thing that popped into his head was Håkan Loob.
– There are many great players, even before my era. Håkan Loob for example, 45-year-old Jagr told Hockey Sweden.
“Would have dominated today”
Jaromir Jagr believed that Håkan Loob would dominate even more if he played today.
– The thing is, he didn’t play in the NHL that long and it was a different type of hockey then. His style of play would be a perfect fit for this new era in the NHL. He would dominate the way he played, if you know what I mean. At that time there was a lot of fighting and I don’t think it suited his style of play very well, but he was still a very good player, Jagr said.
Such a tribute is of course substantial – and Håkan Loob was grateful. He said that it was all “great fun”, but that it is difficult to compare time periods.
– But it’s clear that as a small player and for me who perhaps built my game a lot on speed so… It’s an advantage when they removed all restraints, hacking and the like.
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