JEROME THE GIANT RETIRES
At 41, Iginla, calls it quits after 20 seasons in the NHL
Jarome Iginla was barely two minutes into Monday’s farewell speech when he interrupted himself, revealing to reporters, former teammates and special guests — and to a national television audience — that one of his sons was already yawning in the front row.
Sorry, kid.
When you skate, and star, for two-plus decades in the National Hockey League, there is a lot to reflect on.
“Playing in the NHL, it’s not something that you’re excited to get a congratulations for retiring,” the 41-year-old Iginla said during Monday’s sendoff at the Scotiabank Saddledome, where he once starred as the net-filling face-of-the-franchise for the Calgary Flames.
“It’s an amazing job. I remember starting hockey at age seven, going to my first tryout, and dreaming of how great it would be. And it’s been even better. These 20 years in the NHL, it’s been better. I’m excited for retirement and to be with my family, but I’m going to miss all of you and all of this “So many great memories.” So many great moments. Iginla racked up 625 career goals at hockey’s highest level. Or, as the aw-shucks sharpshooter put it during Monday’s speech, “a decent amount.”
He grand-totalled 1,300 points in 1,554 regularseason outings. That tally doesn’t even include one of the most celebrated setups in Canadian history — his assist on Sidney Crosby’s golden goal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Besides his Hockey Hall of Fame credentials, he departs with a reputation as one of the NHL’s all-time nice guys, too.
“It’s a tough day for me, because you think Jarome is going to play forever,” said Craig Conroy, Iginla’s longtime linemate and close pal and now an assistant general for the Flames. “And he’s not going to play forever. He’s human like the rest of us. And now he’s hobbling around with a new hip, so that really proves it.”
Iginla was unable to land a contract last winter after recovering from hip surgery, continuing to train in hopes of a comeback but also getting a bit of a taste of life after hockey.
On Monday, with his parents, his wife and his three kids in attendance, he made his retirement official.
He thanked a long list of former teammates.
He thanked his past coaches.
He thanked the fans in Calgary, repeatedly, and had kind words for his other organizations — the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings.
Among his most memorable moments, Iginla reminisced about his welcome to the NHL, about staying up late with his Kamloops Blazers teammates after his final junior game and debuting on Theoren Fleury’s line during a playoff matinee against the Chicago Blackhawks the next day.
“Playing against (Chris) Chelios in the corners, faceoffs against (Jeremy) Roenick, shooting on Ed Belfour ... It was almost like a video game,” Iginla grinned.
The retiring right winger recalled being awestruck again when, as a 24-year-old, he cracked Canada’s starstudded cast for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
“I remember walking into the room in Salt Lake and seeing (Mario) Lemieux’s jersey and (Steve) Yzerman’s jersey and (Joe) Sakic’s jersey,” Iginla beamed. “And then over on a makeshift bench is my jersey and (Ryan) Smyth and Simon Gagne. We were the youngest. You couldn’t even see our full name-tags, but that was all right. I thought it was so cool to play with those guys, the guys I watched growing up.
“And it was so special, that tournament, to win it for Canada.”
Iginla would, of course, play a key role as Canada claimed gold again at
Vancouver 2010. He was admittedly counting down the clock — “You’re not supposed to, but you are” — when Team USA tied it up with just 25 seconds left in regulation in the gold-medal showdown.
“We know when we go back out there (for overtime), no matter what happens in that period, we’re going to remember it for the rest of our lives,” Iginla said.
“Thankfully, it went the right way. Crosby scores and we’re grown men, throwing our gloves off, hugging each other and screaming That was a memory that I never, ever will forget.”
As Calgary’s all-time leading scorer, as the catalyst for their near-miss in the 2004 Stanley Cup final, as a force in international competition, Iginla leaves behind a pile of memories, too.
“What I’m really thrilled about today is that I got to play as I long as I did, that I got to play with a lot of the different guys I did, the longevity and the consistency,” Iginla said during Monday’s goodbye. “If you had told me when I started that I’d get to do some of the things I’ve gotten to do, the Memorial Cups in Kamloops, play for Team Canada, score the amount of goals, play with the guys I did, get the points that I’ve gotten ... I never would have guessed it was possible.”