The Jarome Iginla era is over in Calgary.
The Calgary Flames announced following the team’s 4-3 win over Colorado that they have traded captain (and all-time leading scorer) Jarome Iginla to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for 20-year-old college forward Kenny Agostino, 22-year-old college forward Ben Hanowski and Pittsburgh’s first round pick in June’s upcoming NHL Entry Draft.
Iginla, 36, was acquired by the Flames in December 1995 (along with Corey Millen) in exchange for Joe Nieuwendyk. Since turning pro in 1996, Iginla amassed 525 goals and 1,095 points over 1,219 games for the Calgary Flames while serving as team captain since the beginning of the 2003-04 campaign. The highlights of his tenure include leading the team to Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, two Rocket Richard trophies and leading the NHL in scoring in the 2001-02 season.
Agostino, 20, was drafted by the Penguins in the fifth round of the 2010 Draft and plays left wing. He’s presently a junior at Yale University, where he’s put up 96 points in 97 games with the Bulldogs. He stands six feet tall and weighs 200 pounds, according to Yale’s website. The native of Flanders, New Jersey is a political science major.
Hanowski, 22, was chosen by the Penguins in the third round of the 2009 Draft and plays center and right wing. He’s a senior with St. Cloud State, where he’s amassed 111 points over 153 games. He’s been named to the WCHA conference all-academic team in each of the last three seasons and has served as team captain for the Huskies in each of the last two seasons. The native of Little Falls, Minnesota is a business major.
Acquiring Pittsburgh’s first round pick in the 2013 draft gives the Flames two selections in the first round of what’s expected to be a very talent-rich draft, but also essentially replaces Calgary’s second rounder in the draft – which was sent to the Montreal Canadiens last year in deal that brought Mike Cammalleri back to Calgary.
