Players are remembered for a variety of reasons in the National Hockey League. Some are remembered for the longevity of their careers in one place and the numbers they put up, while some are remembered because they made a legacy for themselves in one place and finished their careers in another.
The latter is the case for Jarome Iginla. Iginla is widely known around the league for his time spent with the Calgary Flames, however, while many memorable players have worn the Spoked B as a member of the Boston Bruins, it’s often forgotten that Iginla made a big impact in his lone season in Boston back in 2013-14.
Iginla impressed both on and off the ice throughout his career. While he is known for being the Flames’ all-time goal leader, as well as their all-time points leader, he was also known for his leadership qualities both on and off the ice, strong goal-scoring consistency, and his ability to connect with whatever community he was playing in.
While his career may have come to a close in 2018, Iginla’s legacy will never die as he was selected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020, his first year on the ballot.
Iginla’s Story Begins With Calgary
Iginla was drafted 11th overall by the Dallas Stars in 1995. However, shortly after, the Stars traded Iginla and Corey Millen to Calgary for the rights to Joe Nieuwendyk. At the time, Iginla was still playing junior hockey for the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
After the Blazers finished their season, Iginla signed a contract with the Flames and immediately joined the club in their playoff series against the Chicago Blackhawks. From the start, it was clear why the club was so high on him, as he picked up an assist in his first game and his first NHL goal in the next.
In his first full season in Calgary (1996-97), Iginla finished second in Calder Memorial Trophy voting despite leading all rookies with 50 points. However, he was awarded the Art Ross and Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies as well as the Lester B. Pearson Award following the 2001-02 season and was nominated for the Hart Memorial and King Clancy Memorial Trophies.
Iginla began the 2003-04 season as Flames captain and led the team to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1989. Unfortunately, they fell to Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games despite taking three of the first five games.
Iginla’s Departure From Calgary
In his final season with the Flames, Iginla’s numbers dipped and rumors surfaced that both parties were looking for a trade. Iginla insisted he wanted to stay in Calgary, and the Flames insisted they had no intention of moving him. However, he did agree to waive his no-movement clause for four teams: the Blackhawks, Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings – the four most-recent Stanley Cup champions – as he was still in search of his first championship.
On March 28, 2013, Iginla was traded to the Penguins in exchange for Kenny Agostino, a first-round pick, and Ben Hanowski. He only played 44 regular-season games that season, but was still able to tally 14 goals and 19 assists. Pittsburgh made it to the Eastern Conference Final before falling to the Bruins in a four-game sweep.
After the playoffs, Iginla made the first big free agency decision of his career and signed a one-year deal with Boston worth $1.8 million.
Iginla’s Time in Boston
Iginla may have only played one season for the Bruins, but even at 36 years old, he made a big impact. He played in 78 of their 82 regular-season games, scoring 30 goals and assisting on 31 more. He also played in all 12 playoff games and added seven points to this season total on five goals and two assists. That was his last 30-goal (and 60-point) season of his career – although he came close with 29 goals and 59 points the following season.
The 2013-14 season was the last time that Iginla reached the playoffs as a player, and one of the last times he led a team in goals (the last came the following season). As mentioned, ti was the last time Iginla scored 30 goals in a season, a total that was matched at by Bruins’ budding center Patrice Bergeron.
The 2013-14 season turned out to be a good rebound campaign for Iginla as it marked 12 out of 13 seasons where he was able to rack up 30-plus goals dating back to the 1999-2000 season and 14 out of 15 seasons where he scored 25-plus.
Iginla’s Time After Boston
Iginla left for the Colorado Avalanche that offseason and played two full seasons with the Avs, scoring 51 goals and adding 55 assists, before being traded to the Kings late in the 2017-18 season. However, in his final season, where he split time between Colorado and Los Angeles, his offensive numbers faltered – he only mustered 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) in 80 games.
Neither team made the playoffs, and Iginla decided to hang up the skates at the end of the season. After signing a contract so he could retire with as a member of the Flames, the team retired his number 12 jersey in the 2019 season.
Iginla finished his career with 1,300 points which included 625 goals. While he never won a Stanley Cup, he won two Olympic Gold medals (2002 in Salt Lake City and 2010 in Vancouver).
Iginla Today
Iginla is now working as a special advisor to Flames general manager (and former teammate) Craig Conroy.
Iginla has three children: two sons and a daughter. His oldest son Tij was taken as the Utah Hockey Club’s first pick in franchise history. His other son, Joe, plays for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL where he was selected in the first round of the 2023 WHL Bantam Draft.
Iginla’s oldest, his daughter Jade, plays for the Brown University Bears at the NCAA level where she is entering her junior season. Like her father, Jade wears the “C” on her number 21 jersey, the reverse of her father’s number 12, and is one hell of a goal-scorer.
Iginla’s stint in Boston was a brief one as he only played for the Bruins for one season, but the numbers he put up in that one season solidified his case to be a Hall of Fame candidate – especially considering his age at the time. While he may not have played in Boston for as long as other Bruins’ greats have he made a sizeable impact in the one season he called the TD Garden home.
