National Hockey League (NHL) Player Profile: Calgary Flames Jarome Iginla
Jarome Iginla might not have established himself as a player like Wayne Gretzsky or Mario Lemieux, but he certainly has taken Calgary Flames and put it on the map of the National Hockey League (NHL) world.
Born on July 1, 1977, in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada, Iginla was drafted as the 11th overall draft pick during round-one of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by Dallas Stars.
Before joining the major league, Iginla was a star player in the Canadian minor leagues, including two Memorial Cup championships with the Kamloops Blazers in the Western Hockey League (WHL) along with being named the Player of the Year.
His father was a lawyer while his mother worked as a massage therapist and music teacher, which meant that Iginla had no basic guidance to sports other than his grandfather who introduced him to the world of baseball, it was later on that Iginla developed
love for the game of ice hockey.
Instead of playing for his original draft team Dallas, Iginal was dealt to the city which would become his heart and soul, Calgary. Playing his first full season during the 1996-1997 timeframe, Iginla potted an impressive 50 points (21 goals, 29 assists)
which had Calgary confirm that they had made the right choice in acquiring him.
Iginla has made many achievements during his major league career which has now added up to a total of 14 years. He has not only helped team Canada in reaching their first Olympic gold medal in 50 years during the 2002 Winter Olympics along with another at
the 2010 Winter Olympics, but has also been named the NHL All-Star player for six-times.
It was during the 2003-2004 NHL regular season that Iginla was named Calgary Flames 18th captain, something which the franchise has truly never regretted.
The 34-year-old came close to winning his first and only Stanley Cup during the 2003-2004 season after which they reach the playoffs and went all the way to the top but sadly lost to Tampa Bay Lightning in a close seven game series.
In total, Jarome Iginla, has played 1,106 matchups and has registered a sum of 1,006 points (484 goals, 522 assists). Without him, Calgary would be in the dark and till this date, regard him as their best captain and player in history. It has become nearly
impossible to even imagine Calgary now, without Iginla on board.
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