Jarome Iginla

At 47 years old, Jarome Iginla has this physical status:

Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior The young Canadian ex-professional ice hockey forward, born July 1, 1977, is a Canadian male.

He appeared in over 1500 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings. Iginla, a junior, was one of two Memorial Cup winning teams with the Kamloops Blazers, and was named Player of the Year in 1996.

In the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, he was ranked 11th overall by the Dallas Stars, but he was traded to Calgary before making his NHL debut.

In 2001–2002, he dominated the NHL in goals and points, and the Lester B. Pearson Award was named as the nation's most valuable player.

For the second time in 2003–04, Iginla led the league in goals for the second time and captained the Flames to the Stanley Cup Finals, leading the way in goals. Iginla, the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, currently sits second in assists to Al MacInnis.

Iginla scored 50 goals in a season on two occasions in a row, and he is one of seven players in NFL history to reach 30 goals in 11 straight seasons.

He is one of 20 players in NHL history to score over 600 goals, and he is one of 34 players to reach 1,300 points in his career.

He has been a past winner of the Mark Messier Leadership Award and has been praised by both the Flames and the league for his community service; while Iginla is a member of the Flames, Iginla has donated $2,000 to the children's charity Kidsport for every goal he has achieved.

During a pre-game ceremony on March 2, 2019, the Flames withdrew his number 12; Iginla has also represented Canada on several international forums.

He was a member of championship teams at the 1996 World Junior and 1997 World Championships, as well as the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

He is a three-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist, including at the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he helped lead Canada to its first Olympic hockey championship in 50 years.

Early life

Iginla was born in Edmonton, Alberta, and grew in St. Albert, Alberta's neighboring city. When he first arrived in Canada, his father, a lawyer, changed his first name from Adekunle to Elvis. In Yoruba, his father's native language, his surname means "Big tree." Susan Schuchard, the mother of Iginla, is a native of Oregon and has worked as a massage therapist and music tutor. After his parents divorced when he was a year old, Iginla grew up with his mother and grandparents.

Iginla also played baseball as a youth and was the catcher on the Canadian national junior team, in addition to hockey. Baseball was Iginla's favorite sport before hockey, and his earliest sports memories were of watching amateur baseball tournaments in Western Canada. He played baseball until he was about 17 years old and later in life, and Sports Illustrated reported that he had aspired to become a two-sport professional athlete like Bo Jackson.

He owes his grandfather's contribution to his hockey career, as with his mother's work and dad's attendance at law school, he may not have had the opportunity to play sports at a high level if not for his grandfather's. Iginla grew up admiring other Black hockey players, including Edmonton Oilers goaltender Grant Fuhr. In his first two years of organized hockey, Emulating Fuhr, Iginla, was a goaltender before shifting to the right wing. He spent his entire minor hockey career in St. Albert, Alberta, with 87 points for the St. Albert Midget Raiders in 1992–93.

Personal life

Iginla married Kara, his high school sweetheart, and the couple have three children: daughter Jade and sons Tij and Joe. They were dating since they were in grade eight. Before attending Brown University and playing for the Brown Bears in the NCAA, Jade played hockey for Shattuck-Saint Mary's and Kelowna's RINK Hockey Academy. She has competed for Team Canada on international level. Tij was drafted by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the first round of the WHL Bantam Draft and will make his WHL debut in 2022–23 seasons.

Theresa and Elizabeth are the mother of four paternal half-siblings; two brothers, Jason and Stephen; and two sisters. Theresa spent three seasons with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's hockey team from 2004 to 2007. Jarome is an avid golfer and a regular participant of the Calgary Flames Celebrity Charity Golf Classic.

Iginla is a Christian. He has expressed his doubt in Jesus by saying, "I believe He died for us" and that we should be able to count on Him." Well, I do.

Iginla is well-known for his generous nature. Craig Button, the Flames' former general manager, described Iginla as being grounded: "He does not carry himself with any attitude or arrogance." He is secure in his abilities. He's self-assured. He's sincere. He's a better player than he is, and we all know what kind of player he is." Iginla started a conversation with four Calgarians sitting next to his table in 2002 and discovered out they were asleep in their car outside of the hotel. He excused himself from the discussion and booked them flights at his own expense at the hotel where his family was staying in.

He has been running the Jarome Iginla Hockey School in Calgary, Alberta, as a non-profit group, donating funds to the Diabetes Research Association. In 2004, he was given the NBA Foundation Player Award for his community service and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in recognition of his charitable work. Several charities are supported by Iginla. He started donating $1,000 per goal he earned to KidSport in 2000, a figure he doubled to $2,000 in 2005. He raised more than $700,000 for the charity between 2000 and 2013.

Iginla is a member of the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League, for whom he competed during his junior hockey days. In October 2007, Shane Doan, Mark Recchi, and Darryl Sydor all bought a minority stake in the franchise. He also serves as an ambassador for the NHL Diversity campaign, which helps youth hockey organizations that are economically disadvantaged children participate in games. Since 2008, he has been a hockey spokesperson for Scotiabank, appearing in commercials and at events promoting the bank's grassroots hockey teams, as well as for Samsung Canada.

He served as the head coach and spokesperson for EA Sports' NHL 2003, a game of EA Sports.

Iginla has lived in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and Kelowna, British Columbia, since retiring.

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Playing career

Iginla spent three years with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). In 48 regular season games, he scored six goals and 29 points before playing an additional 19 in the playoffs. Both the league and the 1994 Memorial Cup, Canada's national junior championship, were captured by the Blazers. "In reference to the Blazers' dominance of the league at the time (they had won their third WHL championship in five seasons), Iginla described the anticipation as being similar to those placed on the Montreal Canadiens: "Putting on a Blazers jersey is like putting on the Canadians." You've got to perform."

In 1994–95, Iginla's first complete WHL season, he scored 33 goals and 71 points. The Blazers returned as league champions, winning a trip to the 1995 Memorial Cup. Iginla scored five goals in the tournament to help the Blazers win their second straight national championship. He was named the most sportsmanlike player of the tournament by the George Parsons Trophy.

In the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, the Dallas Stars selected Iginla for their first pick, 11th overall; however, the Calgary Flames traded him to the Calgary Flames on December 20, 1995, along with Corey Millen for the rights to forward Joe Nieuwendyk, who was then involved in a labor dispute with the Flames.

Iginla's final season in Kamloops, 1995–96, placed fourth in league scoring with 136 points, including 63 goals in 63 games played, and was named the league's Most Outstanding Player. The Blazers were disqualified in the Western Conference Final by the Spokane Chiefs, but Iginla was still fourth in playoff scoring, scoring 29 points in 16 games. He earned him a spot in the 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Boston, where he led the tournament in scoring with 12 points and helped Canada win their fourth straight gold medal.

Iginla made his NHL debut in the 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs as he was tied to a deal and flown to Calgary right after his junior season ended in Kamloops. In a series against the Chicago Blackhawks, he appeared in two games for the Flames. He was the first 18-year-old to play for the Flames since Dan Quinn in 1983. Iginla scored his first point in his first NHL game; he scored his first goal in his second game. He stayed with the Flames and played his first NHL season in 1996–97. He earned a spot on the first team of the NHL and finished as the runner-up to Bryan Berard in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the youngest rookie of the year, leading all first-year players in scoring with 50 points.

Iginla led the Flames in goals by his third season, 1998-99. His triumph sparked talks for a new deal as he and the Flames continued to talk about a new contract after the season. Iginla, a former soldier who wanted to end the stalemate, has agreed to attend training camp without a deal and bought his own insurance because the team would not have been liable financially if someone were injured. He was still without a job at the start of the 1999–2000 season and skipped the first three games as a holdout before committing to a three-year contract worth US$4.9 million, plus bonuses. He had a good year with career highs in goals (29) and points (63). In 2000–01, he set new records by scoring 31 goals and 71 points.

Iginla also set new personal records in 2001-02 after being in Canada's Olympic summer camp before the season, scoring 52 goals and 96 points. This season, Iginla rose to superstar status. In each case, he was named the NHL's top point and goal scorer. He was also named as the league's Most Valuable Player by his peers, and was a nominee for both the Hart Memorial Trophy and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The Hart Trophy election was tense: Iginla tied Canadiens goaltender José Théodore in voting terms, but the Hart Trophy garnered less first place votes than Théodore. However, one voter, who is expected to be from Quebec—Théodore and the Canadiens' home province—inexplicably left Iginla off the ballot. The Professional Hockey Writers Association modified the rules on how members voted for the award to prevent a recurrence as a result of the scandal that ensued.

Following the season's break, Iginla's deal would have been terminated. They were unfounded, however, as he signed a two-year, $13 million contract before the season and was expected to lead the Flames offensively once more. Following a fight, Iginla's played down to 67 points in 2002-03, owing to a lingering finger dislocation. His 35 goals were still enough to lead the Flames for the fourth time in five seasons. Despite his offensive contributions, the Flames did not qualify for the playoffs.

Iginla was named the 18th captain in Flames franchise history and the 14th since the team relocated to Calgary from Atlanta in 1980. Craig Conroy, his captain, cited Iginla's history and leadership for his decision to relinquish the captaincy. "He was a leader on the team and old enough to know he'd been there a long time." It was time for him to move to the United States. "Well, it turned out very well." Last year, he took us to the Stanley Cup Final, so it came out remarkably well." Iginla was deemed the first black captain in NHL history, but former Blackhawks captain Dirk Graham, who is of African descent, has also been granted the award.

Iginla reacted to being named captain by winning his second Rocket Richard Trophy, sharing the goal-scoring title with Ilya Kovalchuk and Rick Nash with 41 goals. The Calgary Flames qualified for the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs as the sixth seed, the team's first playoff appearance in eight years. Iginla led all playoff scorers with 13 goals as he captained the Flames to their first Stanley Cup finals appearance in 15 years. The Flames were unable to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games, but they were unable to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning. After the final game, a dejected Iginla sat in the Flames locker room, where he was welcomed by his father, who told his son, "I'm proud of you." The people of Canada are proud of you."

Although Iginla was praised as the best player in the world after his success in the playoffs, he was still working on improving his game. Following the lockout, he was selected as one of six players on the newly formed NHL competition committee, with the responsibility of making recommendations for ways to improve the game. He was in charge of this position until early 2008.

Iginla scored his 300th career goal and 600th career point against the Minnesota Wild on December 7, 2006. He had been supposed to play in the 2007 NHL All-Star Game in Dallas, but he didn't return to play due to a knee injury. In 2006–07, he missed 12 games due to the injury. Despite this, he scored 94 points, with a career-high 55 assists.

Iginla's second career 50 goal season, earning 48 assists for a career high of 98 points, good for third overall in the league. He was elected to the starting lineup of the 2008 NHL All-Star Game with fellow teammate Dion Phaneuf, and was named captain of the Western All-Star team. When he played his 804th career game against the Anaheim Ducks on November 29, 2007, he tied a record for games played. When he scored his 365th against the St. Louis Blues on March 10, 2008, he tied for goals. For the third time, Iginla was selected as a Hart Trophy finalist for the league's most valuable player, although he did not win the award. He signed a five-year contract with the Flames, worth $7 million a year.

Iginla maintained his pursuit of Fleury's franchise record of 830 points in 2008-2009. On December 19, 2008, he scored his 800th point with his first-period assist against the Chicago Blackhawks. In a New Year's Eve game against the Edmonton Oilers, he finished 2008 with a career high five points. He had 14 games in the previous four points. In January, he was selected to the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montreal, his fifth in that order. Iginla, who is representing the Western Conference, scored his first NHL All-Star Game goal in a 12–11 shootout loss. In an 8–6 loss to the Lightning, he passed Fleury as the Flames' all-time scoring leader on March 1, 2009, scoring five points, including his 400th career goal. He finished the season with 35 goals and 89 points, but playoff results led to concerns that he had been playing with an injury. Iginla denied the rumors, admitted that he did not play with the same level of consistency he hoped for and that the summer would be devoted to improving his game in 2009–10.

In 2009–2010, the Flames struggled to qualify for the first time since 2003. Iginla admitted to blame for the team's fallout, but claimed that finishing around 70 points was "not good." The Flames' declining fortunes and Iginla's season prompted growing concerns about whether he could be fired from the team with whom he has played his entire NHL career. Iginla, who will have to approve any trade the team attempts to make due to a no-movement clause in his deal, expressed that he did not want to leave Calgary but that the Flames would accommodate a trade if they so desired to do so. Craig Button, the Flames' general manager, argued against trading Iginla, blaming a lack of complementary players for both Iginla and Calgary's defeats: "There's nothing easier in hockey than to shut down one player." And the Calgary Flames, I would argue, have made it so easy for teams to shut down Jarome." The Flames also stated that they had no plans to trade him.

In a two-goal, two-assist game against the Oilers on January 30, 2010, Iginla scored 900 points in a two-goal, two-assist effort. He played his 1,000th game against the Florida Panthers in 2006, just six weeks later. To start the 2010–11 season, Iginla failed offensively, and with the Flames falling to the bottom of the standings, there was renewed anxiety about his future in Calgary. Team members have reiterated consistently that they were not interested in moving him to another team. Iginla's game was still improving as the season progressed, he reached another personal milestone on January 11, 2011, the day he was announced to play in his sixth All-Star Game. He revealed several days later that he had decided not to play in the All-Star Game because he wanted to spend the time with his ailing grandmother.

On March 6, 2011, Iginla scored his 30th goal of the season on a penalty shot against the Nashville Predators, making him the tenth player to score at least 30 goals in ten seasons. In a 3–2 victory over April 1, 2011, he scored his 1,000th career point, notching the game-winning goal against the St. Louis Blues, marking his 1,000th career victory.

In a 3–1 victory, Iginla scored his 500th goal against Niklas Bäckström of the Minnesota Wild on January 7, 2012. He was the 42nd player in league history to do so, and the 15th to do so with a joint team. For the seventh time in his career (the sixth played), Iginla was named an All-Star during the 2012 All-Star Game. Iginla scored his 30th goal of the 2011-12 season in a 3–2 win over San Jose Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi on March 13, 2012. He is the seventh player in league history to reach 30 goals in 11 consecutive seasons.

With the team languishing near the bottom of the NHL standings, Iginla's future in Calgary was also raised as the trade deadline approached on April 3, 2013. According to national media outlets, Iginla, who had a clause in his deal that prevented the Flames from moving him to another team without his permission, had given the team a list of four teams he would be able to work with: the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, or Pittsburgh Penguins. The four clubs had won the last four championships, and all four teams would advance to the conference finals that season. The Bruins were deemed the top contenders to buy Iginla's services, and after being ruled out of the team's lineup of Calgary's 2013 match against the Colorado Avalanche, it was announced that a trade between the two teams had been concluded. Rather, Iginla's 16-year tenure in Calgary came to an end when he was sent to the Penguins in exchange for Pittsburgh's first round pick at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and college prospects Kenny Agostino and Ben Hanowski. Iginla said that playing with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin made him decide on the Penguins. In the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals, the Bruins and Penguins met. Despite having the best scoring offense in the league, the Penguins went into the league without winning a single game. Iginla, as well as Crosby, Malkin, James Neal, and Kris Letang, all scored a total of 0 points in the series. After a 6–1 loss in Game 2 to Iginla, Iginla was moved to the third line. "When a guy chooses another team over your team," Bruins forward Milan Lucic said after the series that began with Iginla's spurning of Boston: "It's little bit of a fire underneath you."

Iginla, a free agent following the season, made the move to Boston and signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Bruins. As part of a 2–1 victory over the San Jose Sharks, he needed nine games before scoring his first goal as a Bruin, but Boston's first line with Milan Lucic and David Krej were locked in. On December 10, 2013, he made his first return to Calgary, where the fans greeted him with a long-awaited ovation before the game as the Flames paid their respects to him. Following the game's triumph, Iginla was named the game's third star and took two laps around the rink, bringing the crowd even more applause. In a 3–1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on February 4, 2014, he scored his 600th career help.

The Bruins were unable to return to Iginla due to salary cap constraints. As a result, he left the team as a free agent and agreed to a three-year, $16 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche. In 2014–15, the Avalanche was dissatisfied; by mid-February, they were in last place in the Central Division, though Iginla himself was one of the team's top scorers. He led the team with 29 goals, but the Avalanche failed to qualify for the playoffs. Iginla was the 19th player in NHL history to reach 600 goals in a career. In a 4–1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, his historic marker was reached. Iginla played in his 1,500th NHL game on December 10, 2016, defeating the Montreal Canadiens 10–1. He is the 16th player to reach this milestone.

Iginla was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2018 conditional fourth-round pick on March 1, 2017. He chose the number 88 because Marián Gábork had already taken number 12 on. After Wayne Gretzky was traded to the team, Iginla had purchased a Kings jersey and engraved his name and the number 88 on the back. After playing for a struggling team in Colorado, Kings general manager Dean Lombardi hoped that a new start for Iginla would spark him.

Iginla was not re-signed by the Kings for the 2017-18 season. When interviewed during a game in which he played with the Providence Bruins in February 2018, it was announced that he underwent hip surgery in the fall of 2017, but that he wished to return to the league.

Iginla's resignation was announced on July 30, 2018.

In his first year of eligibility, Iginla was chosen for the Hockey Hall of Fame on June 24, 2020.

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