Jaromir Jagr isnt sure what hes going to do with himself once his playing days in hockey are over.
Yet theres a good chance he will take what he is doing part time right now and turn it into a fulltime job.
Jagr is the owner of HC Kladno of the Czech League. He took majority ownership of the financially-strapped club last May.
He admits it was much easier handling the day-to-day affairs of it overseas than here in North America.
Its not easy to do it, he said. I had to do it for three months and I had to pick the team and worry about finding the money and stuff.
Money as in payroll.
You have to negotiate with the players and they want more money, Jagr said, laughing. Funny how it works, huh? I tried to get them over here. You save more here!
He said his eyes have been awakened at sitting on the other side of the table during negotiations. He also said he spends so much time handling the business and operational side of things, he has no time to think about Kladnos game on the ice.
NHL
Its a totally different side of hockey, Jagr said. You can learn the other side, too, as a president, GM or owner. You worry about the team play and not the individual.
You dont care if someone is playing good or not. You care about the team and the players dont know. Players always think the GM is thinking, I dont play good right now. Or the team doesnt do good. But you think of different stuff.
Jagr estimates he has between 400 and 500 kids ages 4 and up in Kladnos program to keep track of.
I run the whole show, he said, with a partner, who handles his duties in Europe while he is in North America playing. Jagr speaks to his partner almost daily, he said.
Its tough when I am not there, but over here, he said. You can control some stuff. You make the decisions. Last year we finished in last place. The team is .500 now. Its a big improvement for us.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net