Shipment of Jaromír Jágr bobbleheads stolen, postponing giveaway
Jaromír Jágr waves to the crowd after he skated in warmups following his jersey retirement ceremony before the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Los Angeles Kings at PPG PAINTS Arena on February 18, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo
PITTSBURGH - A shipment of Jaromír Jágr bobbleheads was stolen ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins matchup against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.
The team was set to host a Jágr bobblehead giveaway for fans, but the incident postponed the event.
Fans attending Thursday night's game will get a voucher that includes a one-time scannable barcode needed to get the bobblehead at a later date, according to the Pittsburgh Penguins website.
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The Penguins organization will announce a location and date to get the bobbleheads once the shipment is found or new ones are created and available to hand out.
Team officials found out about the theft after the shipment didn’t arrive as scheduled, and they worked with the manufacturer and transportation companies to notify the police to find the goods.
"We were shocked to be a victim of cargo theft, and we are working closely with local and federal authorities on the investigation" Penguins President of Business Operations Kevin Acklin said in a statement on the team’s website. "While this unfortunate incident adds to the legend of Jaromir Jagr, who will be in attendance as our guest at tonight’s game, we look forward to resolving this theft and delivering the prized Jagr bobbleheads to their rightful homes, with our fans."
Jágr is the NHL's second all-time leading scorer, and remains an active player on the team he owns in his native Czech Republic.
In February, the Penguins retired Jágr's No. 68 during a pregame ceremony after he left the team in 2001, creating mixed emotions among the fan base.
Years later, former Penguins great and majority owner Mario Lemieux told Yahoo! Sports in 2017 that he dreamed one day that Jágr's number would hang beside his No. 66 in the team’s stadium rafters.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.