The 42-year-old announced his decision to reporters after the game, explaining that he would continue for another season in the NHL but did not plan to return to the international scene.

Jagr will continue his distinguished career with the New Jersey Devils, where he has a further year to run on his contract.

The veteran's career includes two world championship wins, an Olympic gold medal from 1998 and a pair of Stanley Cup triumphs with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992. That makes him one of just 25 players to join the Triple Gold Club.

His career has also drawn tributes from the players he faced here in Minsk. Swedish forward Mikael Backlund, who scored in Sweden's 3-0 win over the Czechs in the bronze medal game, admitted that it was a thrill to play against Jagr.

"He was a big icon for the Czechs. Growing up, I was watching him and watching Pittsburgh and the Czech Republic," Backlund said. "He’s always been a great player and a great personality. He had a great career, and it was a lot of fun to play against him, both in the NHL and internationally.

"It was pretty cool to play against a guy you look up to when you’re younger. It's been an honour to play against guys like him and Selanne, who I watched when I was a little kid. It’s a pretty cool feeling."

Prior to Saturday's semi-final against Finland, Olli Jokinen said: "I'm not really looking forward to playing against Jagr to be honest, he's such a great player. He really loves the game, it's amazing that he's still playing at this level.