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The best answer he’s given to that recurring question was to Sportsnet, as part of their enlightening oral history of No. 68. He started with his go-to replies, how he loves the game and thinks playing hockey is a great and easy job compared to that of a farmer. Then he dug deep for a little extra.

“But I think the important thing is I don’t know how long I’m going to live. The time between when I quit hockey and I die, I want it to be the shortest. It’s not going to be as exciting, that time. So as long as I can play, that’s what I’m doing. If I can play ’til I die, that’s what I will do. What else are you gonna do? Even if you retire, you will still have to go work out, and maybe harder than you do when you play hockey because you don’t want to look ugly and fat. At least I don’t want to.”

He doesn’t want to embarrass himself on the ice, either. Even now, he sweats away any risk that eager youngsters might make him look too like a man way past his prime. He was a legit all-star last year and brought 27 points into Wednesday’s game. That put him no worse than seventh in scoring on any NHL team. On most, he’d be top five.

He’d be tied for third on the Oilers, a squad featuring just 10 players who were alive when Jagr was drafted by the Penguins fifth overall, behind Owen Nolan, Petr Nedved, Keith Primeau and Mike Ricci.

In 2011, when all those gentlemen were already retired and Jagr was a fresh-faced 39-year-old, he played for the Czech Republic at the worlds. He had finished off a contract with Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, was mulling over another one-year offer from the team while also entertaining the thought of a return to the NHL, and looking eminently capable.

Through six straight wins at that tourney, Jagr had five points, played almost 16 minutes per game, was plus-six and had a team-leading 21 shots, baffling the doubters. He had a theory about his longevity.

“My advantage is I don’t think my game was about speed. When you’re older, you’re losing the speed. My game never was about speed.”

His game has been about strength, skill, puck possession and endurance, most of all.

dbarnes@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/jrnlbarnes