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Jagr wants to extend his stay with Rangers

BY STEVE ZIPAY | steve.zipay@newsday.com

May 7, 2008

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GREENBURGH, N.Y. - In his most definitive comments to date, Jaromir Jagr said yesterday that he would prefer to sign with the Rangers next season rather than with another NHL club and indicated that he wants to play two more years before returning to the Czech Republic.

"First, I am going to talk to the Rangers," the 36-year-old Jagr said. "That's No. 1 option for me. I feel very comfortable here, with all the people around this organization who are nice to me. They gave me a chance to show everybody I still can play hockey. Everybody doubted me when I was playing in Washington, for whatever reason. The Rangers gave me a chance and believed in me."

On breakup day in Westchester, the free-agent right wing - the most prolific European scorer in NHL history - didn't seem as if he wanted to break away. He asserted his fondness for New York and his aversion to change and unfamiliar territory.

"I never liked change, I never did in my life," Jagr said. "It's tough to make a change."

He suggested that although a new team "who really wanted you and were really excited about you" would be a plus, everything could change on a dime if you don't produce and you don't play good hockey. I think there's a lot more pressure early when you're changing teams. On old teams, they're a lot more patient because they know what kind of player you are; on a new team, they're probably not going to have as much patience."

Jagr, who earned $8.3 million this season, said that in his first go-round in the free-agent market, "maybe I would like to find out what's my price, just to find out." But then he reconsidered: "Maybe I would find out something I don't want to know."

Opening next season in Prague, where the Rangers will face Tampa Bay, "would be nice, but I don't think it's the No. 1 issue," Jagr said. Yet he wants to play for a team that skates in sold-out rinks like Madison Square Garden. "I always play for the fans," he said. "I don't think I would like to play when the arena's empty, when there's no reason to play at all."

Rangers coach Tom Renney said that Jagr's desire to explore staying was news to him.

"That's the first I've heard of that," Renney said. "For starters, you can't help but endorse Jaromir being here, if that's what he wants. If it winds up that this is where he's most comfortable, good for us. But it is his decision and it's his turn to make that. I think Jaromir knows how I feel about him. If you base your decision on what you saw in the last 20 to 25 games and the playoffs, he was certainly our No. 1 forward at the end of the season."

The Rangers captain also said, very seriously, that if he stayed healthy, he would play for several more years.

"Look at [Detroit's Chris] Chelios playing till 44. Everything is about health; if you stay healthy, you have a chance to work hard and do what you want. But I don't think I would sign longer than two years, just because of my dad. He asked me to come home in two years."

The Rangers' other elder statesman, Brendan Shanahan, 39, sounded as if he wasn't ready to hang up the skates.

"I definitely feel today that at this point, I definitely know that I can still be a productive player in the NHL and certainly somebody who contributes to a team's wins in a variety of ways," Shanahan said. "If I didn't feel confident, I would make my decision to stop playing today. If I decided to play, this [New York] would be my first choice ... I just know it's not an answer that I'll have for awhile."

Renney said that Shanahan, who battled injuries in the second half of the season, would have to accept a reduced role, and he had not discussed that option with Shanahan.

The door will be open for another free agent, Sean Avery, who should be fully recovered from a lacerated spleen in a few weeks. "New York is a place I'd like to play, I love the team, I love the fans, love the organization," said Avery, who didn't indicate that he is any closer to an agreement on a contract. "That's the determining factor. My side has an idea of what my value is."

Notes & quotes: A powerplay quarterback and a big defenseman were among the team's top needs, Renney said ... As many as five members of the Hartford Wolf Pack could compete for jobs in training camp, Renney said, but declined to offer names. He did essentially rule out not-quite-ready defense prospect Bobby Sanguinetti ... Three Rangers will play in the World Championships later this week: Henrik Lundqvist for Sweden, Brandon Dubinsky for the United States and Fedor Tyutin for Russia ... Free agent Martin Straka, 35, is leaving his options open, including playing in Europe.