The Calgary Flames have signed NHL star Jaromir Jagr to a one year contract.
News of talks between the 45-year-old and the Flames surfaced earlier this summer and that all came to fruition in the past couple of days.
The Flames will be paying Jagr $1M for the season along with another $1M available via bonuses.
Sam Bennett says he's excited to be playing with Jagr.
"He's a legend. It's as simple as that. He's a guy I looked up to my whole like so he'll definitely be really cool to have him on our team and I'm looking forward to an opportunity to play with him for a bit."
He says he could end up being more than a little starstruck if he is put on the same line as the points leader.
"If I do get the opportunity to play with him, I'm definitely going to try and take advantage of it. He's got everything, he's got all the tools. He's going to control the puck down low and I'm going to have to get open and make some great plays."
Matthew Tkachuk's father was drafted into the NHL in 1990, the same year as Jagr.
"It's crazy to think about. He's probably played World Juniors together. My dad's been retired for however many years now, but it's an exciting day for us to have a player like that come in with as much knowledge as he does. For me personally, I am going to try and get as much as I can from him on the team."
Jagr is the league’s leading point scorer among active players and has the second most points in NHL history. He’s played on eight teams during his career and has also played three seasons in Russia for the KHL.
He was the fifth overall selection in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft and has won two Stanley Cups, in 1991 and 1992, with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Jagr scored 16 goals and added 30 assists over 82 games with the Florida Panthers in 2016-17, his third year with the organization and 24th in the NHL.
(With files from TSN.ca)
