On the Florida Panthers …
Harvey Fialkov of the Sun-Sentinel: The 45-year old Jaromir Jagr is a pending unrestricted free agent and he’s said all season that he’d like to play until he’s at least 50.
“We’re already playing for the future right now,” Jagr said after morning skate Monday in the BB&T Center. “Nothing will make a difference . I still love the game and still want to get better every day I step on the ice. Nothing has changed for the last 20 years I play hockey. The drive is still there. … The main thing is I love the game, so I’ll have to wait and see what happens.
“I love it here, any minute I was here,” Jagr continued. “The organization was so good to me. They gave me a chance. They traded for me. They gave me a great opportunity. I love it. I play with very good and talented players the last few years here. I love it. I love it here and nothing has changed.”
Tom Rowe and president of hockey operations Dale Tallon will talk after the season about possibly bringing Jagr back.
Jagr is currently fourth in Panthers scoring with 43 points and he played in all 79 games so far.
George Richards of the Miami Herald: There was a plane flying around the BB&T Center with a banner saying “Rowe must go! Call him a cab!”
Sources had said that Rowe won’t be back behind that bench next season. Rowe was GM and was named their interim head coach when they fired Gerald Gallant.
Rowe knew that if they didn’t turn things around after he took over, that he would end up taking the fall.
“This is part of the business,” Rowe said following Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Canadiens.
“I knew coming here, to be part of it, if things didn’t go well I would be taking the brunt of it.
“But that’s fine. I can handle that. Fans pay great money to see us play and it’s their prerogative to speak their mind. I have no problem with that.”