PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - Pittsburgh have withdrawn their contract offer to Czech Republic free agent Jaromir Jagr to avoid getting into a bidding war for the five-time National Hockey League (NHL) scoring champion, the Penguins said on Friday.
The Penguins offered Jagr a one-year, $2 million contract after he expressed an interest in returning to the NHL after spending the last three seasons playing in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League.
But the team withdrew their offer to the 39-year-old after he failed to sign before the deadline expired and rival teams began making theior own bids.
"After several days, with an extended time frame for making a decision, and additional teams getting involved, we have decided to move in a different direction," Penguins General Manager Ray Shero said in a statement.
"It was never our intention to get involved in a free agent bidding war, and we have to focus on our team."
Jagr, a former most valuable player who helped the Penguins win two Stanley Cups during his 11 years with the team, scored 646 goals and accrued 1,599 points in 1,273 career NHL games.
He has not played in the NHL since the 2007-08 season with the New York Rangers, another team believed to be interested in seeking his services.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Julian Linden)
