October 8, 2024

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Jaromir Jagr's headers were stolen, delaying the Penguins' giveaway

Jaromir Jagr's headers were stolen, delaying the Penguins' giveaway

Jaromir Jagr bobblehead night will no longer feature Jaromir Jagr bobbleheads, as the Pittsburgh Penguins announced Thursday that their shipment of fan gifts had been stolen.

All Penguins fans attending the home game against the San Jose Sharks will receive a voucher that includes a barcode that can be scanned once to obtain the ball header at a later time “when the items are safely located or new ball header heads are produced and available for distribution.”

The team learned it was the victim of merchandise theft after it failed to receive a shipment of Jagr bobblehead dolls — depicting the NHL legend with his famous “salute” celebration — as scheduled before the game. The Penguins have contacted both the manufacturer and carriers and notified state and federal authorities who are working to locate the stolen shipment.

It was determined that the theft likely occurred when the shipment arrived in California, according to the team.

“We are shocked to have been the victim of merchandise theft and are working closely with local and federal authorities in the investigation,” said Kevin Acklin, Penguins president of business operations. “While this unfortunate incident adds to the legend of Jaromir Jagr, who will be present as our guest at tonight's match, we look forward to resolving this theft and delivering Jagr's precious heads to their rightful homes, along with our fans.”

The team said there would be no further comment so as not to “impede the process of recovering the goods.”

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The night was part of an ongoing celebration of Jagr's legacy with the Penguins, where he played for 11 seasons and won two Stanley Cups. His number 68 was retired in February in a full-circle moment for Jagr, who Penguins fans used to boo as a visiting player during the rest of his NHL career, which included a stint with the rival Philadelphia Flyers.

“Jagr means a lot not only to this team and this organization, but to the city as a whole. I saw the fans' love for him and everyone's love for him,” Penguins forward Bryan Rust said upon retiring the number.

No doubt there will be more love on Jagr bobblehead night, even if there aren't any bobbleheads.

“When your real job looks like an article in The Onion,” Acklin said he wrote in a social media post. “The Jagger legend continues.”