Jaromir Jagr

One of the players who eased Jagr's transition into the NHL was fellow Czech Jiri Hrdina, who did not begin playing in the NHL himself until the age of 30. He began playing hockey growing up in Mlada Boleslav, Czechoslovakia. In the early 1980s, he was recruited to play for Sparta Praha, in Prague, and soon became an important player on the team as a center. He also played with his native country in several world championships and Olympics. After the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Hrdina signed with the NHL's Calgary Flames. He was traded to the Penguins to guide Jagr in the 1990-91 season, and won two Stanley Cups with the team in 1991 and 1992. Hrdina retired after the 1992 season, and later worked as a NHL scout.