IGGY MEANT TO BE A FLAME
All these years and all those goals later, Jarome Iginla still wonders if he was perhaps docked a few evaluation marks because of the jersey that he was (eventually) wearing.
Remember, he was raised in Oil Country.
“When I tried out for that first team at age seven, I was put in the worst league. I wasn’t very good when I started,” Iginla admitted during Monday’s retirement party at the Saddledome, a fitting farewell for the Calgary Flames franchise icon.
“But when I did go to tryouts, just to give you an idea, the cards were stacked against me. My grandpa took me to my first tryout and we didn’t know that there was no jersey, no socks. So everyone has their outfits, they’re good players, they’ve been playing for years.
“My first time, I’m skating around with no jersey, no socks. My grandpa had to run and get me a jersey from the sports store in St. Albert, while I was out there wheeling around. He brought back one, and I wasn’t that thrilled to get it — it was a Calgary Flames jersey. I don’t know if was the last one left at the time.
“So I think not wearing a jersey to start and the Flames jersey after, it worked against me and I ended up in the worst league.”
He ended up, of course, as the best to ever wear that Flaming C logo.
As the franchise record-holder in several significant categories, among them goals (525) and points (1,095) and games played (1,219).
As the longest-serving captain in Calgary’s club history.
As the favouritest of the fanfavourites and the always-smiling face of the organization.
For 16 seasons, before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on that wacky Wednesday in March of 2013, it seemed almost impossible to picture Iginla in any other crest.
That’s why it was so fitting that he returned Monday — after twirls with the Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings and after failing to find a job last winter once he’d recovered from hip surgery — to make his retirement official.
As team president Ken King put it: “Welcome home, kid.”
Echoed Martin Gelinas, who was working as Iginla’s linemate when he became ‘The Eliminator’ in the spring of 2004: “I bleed red, and I’m so excited that you’re retiring as a Flame.” That was, no doubt, the consensus. Theoren Fleury, another franchise all-timer, was among the past teammates there to congratulate ‘Iggy’ on his terrific career.
Although it was closed event, a few dozen fans were hanging around outside the Saddledome, hoping for an
autograph or a selfie.
One was apparently willing to stay a while. He brought a lawn-chair.
“I’m thankful for the times, from 35 on, that I played elsewhere, too. It was good for me and good for my family,” said Iginla, who has settled with his family — wife Kara, daughter Jade and sons Tij and Joe — in Boston. “But I’m thrilled to be able to come back and not be like I just took off and that was the end. Because this is home. Alberta is home.
“I’m really thrilled that I got to do this today and reminisce with fans and say thank you to the fans and to the city and not just go quietly the other way.”
This will not be the final thank you, either.
Some wondered if Monday’s sendoff would be paired with an announcement that the team would retire Iginla’s No. 12 or at least raise those digits to the rafters as part of their
Forever a Flame program.
“We don’t want to pre-empt ourselves on the honours that will follow,” King said during his own speech. “But based on today, I think I can safely tell you that we’re thinking about a 41-game salute, Jarome.
“So we’ll see you later this year.”
ICE CHIPS
The Flames finished some business before Monday’s ceremony, avoiding arbitration by re-signing Garnet Hathaway to a one-year, one-way deal. The 26-year-old right winger will earn US$850,000 during the upcoming campaign. Hathaway logged 59 appearances for the Flames last winter, chipping in with four goals and nine assists. He also finished second on the team with 154 hits and dropped his mitts for six fights.