Iginla coming ‘home’ to say goodbye
Renowned power forward and Flames icon will officially retire from the NHL on Monday
CALGARY—Hewas, for so long, the marquee man at the Saddledome.
Now, Jarome Iginla is returning to his longtime hockey home to officially call it a career.
The all-time leading scorer and longtime face-of-the franchise for the Calgary Flames, Iginla will announce his retirement in a special ceremony Monday in his old digs.
“In a sense, I grew up there,” Iginla told the Flames’ website. “I started playing for the Flames at 19, but even in minor hockey I remember travelling to Calgary for tournaments, from St. Albert, and I imagined playing in the Saddledome.
“It’s been a fun adventure, for my family and I. Some great cities, great people. To be back in Alberta, though, will feel like home.”
Iginla is now 41 and couldn’t find an NHL job last winter, so word Wednesday of his retirement certainly doesn’t come as a shock.
Still, Monday’s farewell will likely be emotional for the father of three and fan favourite for so many.
Iginla was one of the NHL’s premier power forwards, totalling 625 goals and 675 assists in 1,554 regular-season outings between 1996-2017.
That tally includes a franchise-record 525 goals — of those, 83 stood as game-winners — and 1,095 points on behalf of the Flames before stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings.
During his days at the Saddledome, Iginla was a twotime winner of the Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading marksman. His hardware collection also includes the Art Ross Trophy, Lester B. Pearson Award, King Clancy Memorial Trophy, NHL Foundation Player Award, Mark Messier Leadership Award and two Olympic gold medals.
He will, without a doubt, be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Perhaps the only thing missing from that remarkable resume is a Stanley Cup ring. With No. 12 as their captain, the Flames were oh-so-close in 2004, their fairy tale run ending with a Game 7 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the championship series.
“For sure, it took me a while to just let it go, losing. From seven years of missing the playoffs to almost winning it,” Iginla told the Flames’ website.
“And it does still sting a little bit. I’ve always dreamed of being on a Stanley Cup-winning team. That always stayed with me.
“I know now that dream isn’t coming true … But if you said when I started that I was going to play 20 years, experience what I have, I’d have taken it in a heartbeat. I did the best I could, played as hard as I could.
“And all my dreams came true, more than I ever could’ve imagined, except that one dream. It just wasn’t in the cards for me.”
Iginla is now home-based in Boston, but he’ll be forever linked to Calgary, forever loved by the so-called C of Red.
There is no better place for his goodbye ceremony than the Saddledome, where he starred for 16 seasons.
“I don’t sit here now and think: ‘Man, it flew by. I wish I’d enjoyed it more,’ ” Iginla told the Flames’ website. “When I started, you have a dream about making it in the NHL, how good it’s going to be and what it’s like. I enjoyed it while it was happening …
“I can honestly say it was all better than I could’ve hoped for.”
I started playing for the Flames at 19, but even in minor hockey I remember travelling to Calgary for tournaments, from St. Albert, and I imagined playing in the Saddledome.” Jarome Iginla