St. Albert’s hometown hero is retiring after a Hall-of-Fame career spanning 1,554 regular-season games over 20 seasons with five National Hockey League teams.
Jarome Iginla will make the announcement at Monday’s news conference at 10:30 a.m. at the Scotiabank Saddledome, where the St. Albert Minor Hockey Association product spent 16 seasons with the Calgary Flames, including nine as team captain.
Iginla, 41, also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and the final NHL game for the power forward at right wing was April 9, 2017, with the Los Angeles Kings.
Iginla is the Flames’ all-time leader in goals (525), points (1,095) and games played (1,219), while leading the team in scoring 11 seasons in a row, the longest streak in NHL history.
Among the all-time NHL leaders, Iginla ranks 13th in games played, 15th in goals (625) and 34th in points (1,300).
The two-time Olympic gold medallist reached the 50-goal mark twice and was the 2001-02 Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL’s points leader.
The six-time NHL all-star produced 37 goals and 68 points in 81 playoff games and in his first year as the Flames’ captain led the team to the 2004 Stanley Cup final, only to lose in Game 7 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Sir Alexander Mackenzie, Lorne Akins and Paul Kane alumnus led the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League in scoring (34-53-87 in 36 games) as a second-year bantam with the 1992-93 St. Albert Eagle Raiders.
The two-time Memorial Cup champion with the Kamloops Blazers and Western Hockey League player of the year in 1996 was also a gold medallist for Canada with the U18 national team in 1994 and at the 1996 IIHF World Junior Championship, 1997 IIHF World Championship and 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
Iginla also excelled on the diamond in various age divisions in the St. Albert Minor Baseball Association.
More to come ...
