Tij Iginla – 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Tij Iginla

2023-24 Team: Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Date of Birth: Aug. 1, 2006
Place of Birth: Lake Country, BC
Ht: 6-foot-0 Wt: 185 pounds
Shoots: L
Position: C/LW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2024 first-year eligible

Rankings

When your dad is in the Hockey Hall of Fame, it can be hard to emerge from his shadow. Jarome Iginla was renowned for the intensity and work ethic he brought to every game, leading to the unofficial title as the last of the great power forwards. He was also a talented goal-scorer, and despite leaving the team over a decade ago, he still holds the Calgary Flames’ record for the most career goals and most career points. His number 12 was retired in 2019 and hangs in the Saddledome’s rafters alongside Lanny MacDonald’s number 9.

That’s a big legacy to live up to, but Jarome’s 17-year-old son, Tij Iginla, looks like he can do it. First, the points — Tij finished his draft season with 47 goals and 84 points in 64 games, surpassing Jarome’s 1994-95 totals by 14 goals and 13 points. While his father blended physicality with a good shot, Iginla has shown much better skill with the puck. He has an incredibly quick release that can pack a lot of power, and he can fire the puck from any angle.

Tij Iginla Kelowna Rockets
Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets (Image: Tri-City Americans)

On top of a strong shot, Iginla also has very soft hands, and the control he shows with the puck is just a fraction lower than elite puck-handlers like Berkly Catton. He can move the puck so quickly between his stick that opponents are left stumbling, which he uses to create space for either himself or a teammate for a scoring opportunity. When pressured, he’s strong on his stick, too, stretching the puck away from him almost as far as he can, yet still maintaining complete control, using his frame and skating to protect the puck from an attacker.

Speaking of his skating, aiding Iginla’s puckhandling is his agility. He’s not the slowest player on the ice, and nor is he the fastest. But he’s strong on his skates, allowing him to get the most out of his edges. He can change direction in a fraction of a second and still have enough momentum to pull off the same move two or three more times. When he doesn’t have the puck, he is constantly moving, putting himself into good positions to pick up a pass or create a turnover.

Related: THW’s 2024 NHL Draft Guide

Watching Iginla cycle through the neutral zone or seeing him pick up a loose puck and pass it to a teammate in one fluid movement hints at the high level of intelligence he has at his disposal. Like so many other top-tier snipers, he is always watching the play develop and can predict where it will go, which allows him to be in the best position for his team on both offence and defence. He’s not always as consistent when defending, but given that he’s already thinking about the game faster than most of his peers, that’s not a big issue at this level. He was fantastic at the Kubota Top Prospect’s Game this season, and although he didn’t show up on the scoreboard, he was involved in every play and was named the Player of the Game.

Tij will never outgrow the comparisons to Jarome, and scouts are quick to point out that he doesn’t have the same strength or physicality as his father. That’s just the burden of having such a famous father. But, on top of being a hard-nosed player, Jarome was known for his high character, and it’s obvious that he instilled a lot of that into his children. Tij is a hard worker, and while he can still improve in some of the more physical parts of the game, he’s shown that he has what it takes to make a name for himself in the future.

Other Draft Profiles

Tij Iginla – NHL Draft Projection

Iginla is all but guaranteed to go in the top half of the 2024 Draft, but how high is another question. He’s been one of the fastest-rising prospects, and there’s little that he can’t do, which has been on full display in the Western Hockey League (WHL) playoffs. Already, he has six goals and 22 shots in four games, including a hat trick in Game 1. That will likely boost him up slightly, but reports have revealed that the Montreal Canadiens, who will likely pick within the top 10, have met with the 2024 prospect four times this season. While the Canadiens have a habit of reaching for players they like, I think it’s more likely he still falls right around where his dad went — 11th overall in 1995.

Quotables

“Tij is a lot like his dad in a sense. Jarome, at that age, there wasn’t a lot of flash to his game but there was a lot of intelligence, there was a high level of competitiveness. He understood how to gain advantages in the game. Now you watch Tij gain that confidence…confidence with a puck on his stick and scoring goals and making plays. He’s another player you’re going to have to watch over the course of the year but I’ve seen real tremendous progress in Tij.” Craig Button on the WHL Unfiltered Podcast

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 “Iginla has been one of the biggest risers in the early season with his obvious goal-scoring ability and improved 2-way game. Son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, he has caught the attention of fans long before his draft year. Like his father, TIj is known for his excellent release and ability to find the net through traffic. What stands out from watching his games, is his improved ability in the defensive zone and foot speed. It is safe to say that the move to Kelowna has certainly paid off as he is also one of the league’s top powerplay contributors with six powerplay goals. Iginla’s draft stock has risen significantly.” – Kayden Ruda, Draft Pro

“Iginla is a talented and dynamic winger (can also play centre) who has been an offensive-impact player for the Rockets from the start of the season. Skating is an NHL asset with speed that puts defenders on their heels. He is strong and hungry on the puck and has an effective game along the boards and corners when battling for pucks. Provides a consistent offensive output as a creative playmaker and natural goal scorer who has that shoot-first mentality and possesses an excellent finishing shot with a very good release.” – NHL Central Scouting

Strengths

  • Work ethic on offence
  • Shot
  • Skating agility and edgework
  • Quick decision making
  • High intelligence
  • Puckhandling

Under Construction – Improvements to Make

  • Top-end speed
  • Physicality
  • Defensive consistency

NHL Potential

Iginla will slide in easily to a top-six spot in the future. He already has plenty of pro habits, and as he continues to build strength, he’ll become a dangerous sniper who will be impossible to knock off the puck. I think his style of game is similar to Chris Kreider’s as both players are hard-working, goal-scoring wingers who aren’t afraid to use physicality. But it’s not their preferred method, and they instead rely on high intelligence and superior puck-handling to create opportunities. However, even if he doesn’t reach that potential, he’ll be a sure-fire NHLer in two to three seasons.

Risk – Reward Analysis

Risk- 1/5, Reward 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense- 8/10, Defense 6.5/10

Awards/Achievements

  • U17 World Hockey Challenge – Silver, 2022-23
  • WHL Champion – Ed Chynoweth Cup, 2022-23
  • 2023-24 Kubota Top Prospects Player of the Game, Team White

Tij Iginla Stats

Videos