Jarome Iginla facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jarome Iginla
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2020
Iginla with the Calgary Flames in December 2008
Born	(1977-07-01) July 1, 1977 (age 47) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Calgary Flames Pittsburgh Penguins Boston Bruins Colorado Avalanche Los Angeles Kings
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	11th overall, 1995 Dallas Stars
Playing career	1996–2017

Jarome Iginla (born July 1, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was a powerful winger who played over 1,500 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings between 1996 and 2017. Many people think he is one of the best players of his time.

In junior hockey, Iginla helped the Kamloops Blazers win two Memorial Cup championships. He was named the Western Hockey League (WHL) Player of the Year in 1996. The Dallas Stars picked him 11th overall in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. But he was traded to the Calgary Flames before he even played his first NHL game.

Nicknamed "Iggy", he led the NHL in goals and points in the 2001–02 season. He also won the Lester B. Pearson Award as the most valuable player, as voted by other players. In 2003–04, Iginla led the league in goals again. He was also the captain when the Flames reached the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals.

Iginla was an NHL All-Star six times. He holds the Flames' team records for most goals, points, and games played. He is also second in assists for the team. Iginla scored 50 goals in a season twice. He is one of only seven players in NHL history to score 30 goals in 11 seasons in a row. He is also one of only 20 players to score over 600 goals in the NHL. And he is one of 34 players to get over 1,300 points in his career.

He won the Mark Messier Leadership Award for his leadership. Both the Flames and the league have praised him for his community work. While playing for the Flames, Iginla gave $2,000 to the Kidsport charity for every goal he scored. The Flames retired his number 12 jersey on March 2, 2019. This means no other Flames player will ever wear that number.

Iginla played for Team Canada many times. He won championships at the 1996 World Junior and 1997 World Championships. He also won the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He played in three Olympic Games and won two gold medals. This includes the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he helped Canada win its first Olympic hockey gold in 50 years.

Iginla was chosen for the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020. This was in his first year of being eligible. He is the fourth Black player to be inducted.

Early Life and Growing Up

Iginla was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He grew up in the nearby city of St. Albert. His father was from Nigeria, and his last name, Iginla, means "big tree" in the Yoruba language. His mother was from Oregon.

When he was young, Iginla played baseball too. He was even the catcher for the Canadian national junior team. Baseball was his favorite sport before hockey. He played baseball until he was about 17. He once said he hoped to be a professional in both sports, like Bo Jackson.

Iginla says his grandfather helped him a lot with his hockey career. His grandfather made sure he could play sports at a high level. Iginla looked up to other Black hockey players, like Edmonton Oilers goaltender Grant Fuhr. Iginla even played goalie for his first two years of hockey. Then he switched to right wing. He played all his minor hockey in St. Albert. At 15, he led his league in scoring with 87 points.

Playing Career

Junior Hockey Success

Iginla played three years for the Kamloops Blazers in the Western Hockey League (WHL). In his first year, 1993–94, he helped the Blazers win the league title and the 1994 Memorial Cup. This is Canada's national junior championship.

In 1994–95, Iginla scored 33 goals and 71 points. The Blazers won the league championship again. They also won their second straight 1995 Memorial Cup. Iginla scored five goals in the tournament. He also won the George Parsons Trophy for being the most sportsmanlike player.

The Dallas Stars picked Iginla 11th overall in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. But on December 20, 1995, they traded him to the Calgary Flames. This trade happened before he played his first NHL game.

In his last junior season (1995–96), Iginla was amazing. He scored 63 goals and 136 points in 63 games. He won the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as the WHL's best player. He also played for Team Canada at the 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He led the tournament in scoring and helped Canada win a gold medal.

Calgary Flames Star

Iginla joined the Flames for the 1996 playoffs. He was only 18 years old. In his first NHL game, he got an assist. In his second game, he scored his first goal. He played his first full NHL season in 1996–97. He was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. He finished second for the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year. He led all rookies with 50 points.

By his third season (1998–99), Iginla led the Flames with 28 goals. He missed the first three games of the 1999–2000 season because of a contract dispute. But he signed a three-year deal and finished the year with 29 goals and 63 points. He then scored 31 goals and 71 points in 2000–01.

The 2001–02 season was huge for Iginla. He scored 52 goals and 96 points. This made him a superstar. He won the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in points. He also won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for leading in goals. Players voted him the league's most valuable player, earning him the Lester B. Pearson Award.

In 2003–04, Iginla was named the 18th captain in Flames history. He was the first Black captain in NHL history. He won his second Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy by scoring 41 goals. The Flames made the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Iginla led all players in the playoffs with 13 goals. He captained the Flames to the Stanley Cup Finals. They lost in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

After the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Iginla continued to shine. On December 7, 2006, he reached 300 career goals and 600 career points. In 2006–07, he scored a career-high 55 assists and 94 points, even though he missed 12 games due to injury.

The 2007–08 season was another big one. Iginla scored 50 goals again and had a career-high 98 points. He was voted to start in the 56th National Hockey League All-Star Game. He also broke Flames' records for most games played and most goals. He signed a five-year contract extension with the Flames.

Iginla continued to break records in 2008–09. He got his 800th point on December 19, 2008. He had a career-high five points in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. He was named to the 2009 NHL All-Star Game. On March 1, 2009, he became the Flames' all-time leading scorer. He also scored his 400th career goal in that game.

On January 30, 2010, Iginla reached 900 career points. A few nights later, he played his 1,000th career game. The Flames missed the playoffs in 2010. Iginla said he was responsible for the team's struggles. He said he didn't want to leave Calgary, but would if the team wanted to trade him.

Iginla scored his 500th career assist on January 11, 2011. He was named to his sixth All-Star Game but chose not to play to be with his grandmother. He scored his 30th goal of the season on March 6. This made him the 10th player in NHL history to score 30 goals in ten seasons in a row. A month later, he scored his 1,000th career point. He finished the season with 43 goals and 86 points.

On January 7, 2012, Iginla scored his 500th goal. He was the 42nd player in league history to do this. He was named an All-Star for the seventh time. He scored his 30th goal of the 2011–12 season. This made him the seventh player in history to score 30 goals in 11 seasons in a row.

Later Career: Pittsburgh, Boston, Colorado, and Los Angeles

In 2012–13, with the Flames struggling, Iginla was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had a special clause in his contract that let him choose which teams he would go to. He chose the Penguins because he wanted to play with stars like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Boston Bruins.

After that season, Iginla signed a one-year contract with the Boston Bruins. He scored his first goal as a Bruin in his ninth game. He returned to Calgary on December 10, 2013. Fans gave him a huge standing ovation. He also got his 600th career assist with the Bruins.

The Bruins couldn't sign Iginla again because of salary cap rules. So, he signed a three-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche. He led the team with 29 goals in 2014–15. On January 4, 2016, Iginla became the 19th player in NHL history to score 600 career goals. On December 10, 2016, he played in his 1,500th NHL game. He is the 16th player to reach this milestone.

On March 1, 2017, Iginla was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. He chose to wear number 88. When he was 10, he had bought a Kings jersey and put his name and number 88 on it because Wayne Gretzky had just joined the team.

Iginla was not re-signed by the Kings. He had hip surgery in 2017. On July 30, 2018, Iginla announced he was retiring from hockey.

On June 24, 2020, Jarome Iginla was chosen for the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Playing for Canada

Iginla won gold medals at the Olympics in 2002 and 2010.
Medal record
Representing Canada
Men's ice hockey
Olympic Games
Gold	2002 Salt Lake City
Gold	2010 Vancouver
World Championship
Gold	1997 Finland
World Cup
Gold	2004 World Cup of Hockey
World Junior Championship
Gold	1996 USA

Iginla first played for Canada at the 1994 Nations Cup. He led Canada in scoring and won a gold medal. Two years later, he played for the national junior team at the 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He led that tournament in scoring too, and Canada won its fourth gold medal in a row. He was named an all-star and the tournament's best forward. In 1997, at age 19, he played for the senior team at the 1997 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. Canada won the gold medal.

Iginla became a big star at the 2002 Winter Olympics. He scored two goals in the gold medal game against the United States. Canada won 5–2, earning its first Olympic gold medal in 50 years. Iginla became the first Black man to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. He also played for Canada at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, where Canada won gold again.

Iginla played in his second Olympics in 2006 Turin. Canada did not win a medal that year. He was an alternate captain again for the 2010 team in Vancouver. He scored three goals in the first game against Norway. He led the tournament with five goals. He also assisted on Sidney Crosby's winning goal in overtime against the United States in the gold medal final.

Playing Style

Iginla taking a shot.

In his best years, Iginla was known as one of the NHL's top power forwards. He wanted to play like Brendan Shanahan and Keith Tkachuk. These players combined skill with physical play. Iginla was a very consistent scorer. Between 1998 and 2008, only Jaromír Jágr scored more goals than Iginla.

Early in his career, Iginla's coaches encouraged him to play more physically. He wasn't always eager to fight, but he knew it helped his game. Being physical helped him create space on the ice. This allowed him to use his skills more effectively. Craig Conroy, a former teammate, said Iginla "does it all." He would fight, hit, and score goals. Opponents respected him for his all-around game.

Iginla had several Gordie Howe hat tricks. This is when a player gets a goal, an assist, and a fight in the same game. His fights often motivated his team. He sometimes got injured from fighting, like a broken hand in 2003.

Iginla was a respected leader. He preferred to lead by example rather than being loud. He liked to talk to players one-on-one to make sure they felt comfortable. He won the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2009 for his leadership.

Personal Life

Iginla is married to his high school sweetheart, Kara. They have three children: a daughter named Jade and two sons, Tij and Joe. Jade plays hockey for Brown University. Tij plays for the Kelowna Rockets and was picked by the Utah Hockey Club in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Joe plays hockey for Kelowna's RINK Hockey Academy, where Jarome is his coach.

Iginla has four half-siblings from his father's side. He enjoys golf and often plays in charity golf events.

Iginla is a Christian. He has spoken about his faith, saying he believes in Jesus and leans on Him.

People know Iginla for his kind nature. Former Flames General Manager Craig Button said Iginla is a "better person than he is a player." In 2002, during the Winter Olympics, Iginla met some fans who were sleeping in their car. He paid for them to stay in his family's hotel.

Since 2002, he has run the Jarome Iginla Hockey School in Calgary. It's a non-profit, and the money goes to the Diabetes Research Association. In 2004, he won the NHL Foundation Player Award and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his community work. He supports many charities. From 2000 to 2013, he donated over $700,000 to KidSport from his goals.

Iginla is a part-owner of the Kamloops Blazers, his old junior team. He also works with the NHL Diversity program. This program helps kids from less fortunate backgrounds play hockey. He has also been a spokesperson for Scotiabank and Samsung Canada.

He was the cover athlete for the EA Sports video game NHL 2003.

After retiring, Iginla has lived in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts and Lake Country, British Columbia.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play Statistics

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1996	Canada	WJC			6	5	7	12	4
1997	Canada	WC			11	2	3	5	2
2002	Canada	OG			6	3	1	4	0
2004	Canada	WCH			6	2	1	3	2
2006	Canada	OG	7th		6	2	1	3	4
2010	Canada	OG			7	5	2	7	0
Junior totals					6	5	7	12	4
Senior totals					36	14	8	22	8

Awards and Honours

National Hockey League Award Year Ref. NHL All-Rookie Team 1997 First team All-Star 2002, 2008, 2009 NHL All-Star Game 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy Leading goal scorer 2002, 2004 Art Ross Trophy Leading point scorer 2002 Lester B. Pearson Award Most Outstanding Player as voted by the players 2002 Second team All-Star 2004 King Clancy Memorial Trophy Leadership and humanitarian contributions 2004 NHL Foundation Player Award commitment, perseverance and teamwork in the community 2004 NHL 2000s All-Decade First Team 2009 Mark Messier Leadership Award 2009 Hockey Hall of Fame 2020 International Award Year Ref. World Junior first All-Star team 1996 World Junior Best Forward 1996

Junior Award Year Ref. Memorial Cup Championship team 1994, 1995 George Parsons Trophy Most sportsmanlike player of the Memorial Cup 1995 WHL West first All-Star team 1996 Four Broncos Memorial Trophy WHL player of the year 1996 CHL first All-Star team 1996 Team Awards Award Year Ref. Molson Cup CGY – Most three star selections 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2011 Ralph T. Scurfield Humanitarian Award CGY – Humanitarian contributions 2001, 2002 J. R. McCaig Award CGY – Respect, courtesy and compassion 2008

Iginla being honoured as part of a Molson Cup ceremony Iginla's sweater used during game 6 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Images for kids

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  Iginla with the Flames in April 2004.

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  Iginla in March 2014 with the Boston Bruins

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  Iginla in November 2014. He played three seasons with the Avalanche.

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  Iginla takes the ceremonial faceoff for the Flames during the 2011 Heritage Classic in February 2011

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  Iginla won gold medals at the Olympics in 2002 and 2010.

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  Iginla is presented with a silver stick in honour of his 400th NHL goal, March 2009.