Phil Pietroniro speaking with SportNews at the Eiswelle. © sn

On the ice with Jaromír Jágr: Italian star lives his dream

The World Championship begins for Italy's national team in Romania on Sunday. A star defenseman from the Azzurri dreams of advancing to the World Group. He has already fulfilled another dream in recent months: sharing the ice with Jaromír Jágr.

21 April 2025

It's been a little over 30 years since Bolzano experienced a state of total ice hockey emergency. This had less to do with the newly opened ice rink – now known as the Sparkasse Arena – than with a player who turned heads. A player who caused endless queues at the ticket booths. A player whose every touch of the puck triggered a mix of amazement, awe, and frenzied cheers in the stands. A player who didn't just play the game, but celebrated it – like an artist who turned the ice into his stage.

That player was Jaromír Jágr, one of the greatest stars in ice hockey history. 1.733 NHL games and an incredible 1.921 points (only Wayne Gretzky has more), two Stanley Cup trophies, Olympic gold medals, and records galore—these facts alone make it clear that the Czech is a true legend in his sport.

Jaromir Jágr is one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time. © APA/getty / Mike Ehrmann

It's actually unimaginable that the man with the long mane of hair would actually have worn the HC Bolzano jersey for several weeks in December 1994—at the peak of his career. Yet, somehow, the club's management managed to lure Jágr to South Tyrol during the NHL lockout—and thus, by far the biggest star in the club's history.

“I never dreamed in my life that I would one day play alongside Jaromír Jágr.” Phil Pietroniro

When the Jágr magic captivated the crowds at the Bozen Ice Arena, Phil Pietroniro – the oldest of the five Pietroniro ice hockey brothers – was still in diapers in his native Canada. In December 1994, the current defenseman for the Italian national team was just six months old. That's one of the reasons why the 30-year-old – during a conversation at this very same ice rink – flashes a big grin when he talks about Jágr. "I never dreamed in my life that I would one day play alongside Jaromír Jágr. I will be grateful for this experience for the rest of my life."

A photo from 1994: Jaromír Jágr (far left) in the HC Bozen jersey. © Reinhold Eheim

Yes, for Pietroniro, the dream of many young Canadian ice hockey kids did come true last season. He defended for HC Kladno in the Czech Extraliga, Jágr's hometown and beloved club – and the club where the ice hockey legend himself still chased the puck at the incredible age of 54. "He's an incredible workhorse. You can learn something from him every day," says Pietroniro, whose great-grandparents are from Campobasso (Molise region) and who therefore holds Italian citizenship.

With Jágr at McDonald's

After his illustrious NHL career, Jágr returned to his native Czech Republic at the beginning of 2018 and played for his hometown club Kladno, which he led back to the Czech top flight. He now also owns the club and made 39 appearances for the Czechs last season. "In the locker room," says Pietroniro, "you can have a good laugh with Jágr, but of course he can also get serious sometimes. He's a legend. I can still remember him taking us to McDonald's after a game."

Phil Pietroniro is one of the top performers in Italy's national team. © Vanna Antonello

Phil Pietroniro, who began his European career in Asiago and ended up in the Czech Republic via France and Slovakia, looks back on a successful year in Kladno. And he's looking forward to the coming weeks and months. First, he wants to achieve promotion to the World Group with Italy at the World Championships, then he'll have another season in Kladno. Will Jágr be back? In recent weeks, rumors have intensified that the ice hockey legend will finally retire from his beloved sport at the end of the past season. But with Jaromír Jágr, you never know...