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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

He’s No. 2: Jaromir Jagr moves into second on NHL points list

Florida Panthers right wing Jaromir Jagr (68) celebrates his assist, giving him 1,888 goals, second most in NHL history during the third period of play against the Boston Bruins in an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016, in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Skipper / Associated Press)
Associated Press

SUNRISE, Fla. – Florida Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr has moved into outright No. 2 spot on the NHL career scoring list.

Jagr got career point No. 1,888 on Thursday night, breaking a tie with Mark Messier. The historic point was an assist with 6:40 left in the third period of Florida’s 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

“I appreciate everything … over my hockey career, and I thank the fans,” Jagr said in a brief ceremony during which he was given a golden stick.

Only Wayne Gretzky, with 2,857 points, has more than Jagr. Aleksander Barkov was credited with the goal that deflected off the 44-year-old Czech star.

In a video, Gretzky offered congratulations. “You play the game the right way,” he told Jagr.

The game was stopped for a celebration, and Jagr came onto the ice to accept the commemorative golden stick from the Panthers. He waved to the crowd, got congratulatory stick-taps from both teams, and the game – his 1,663rd in the NHL – resumed.