Jarome Iginla

Jarome Iginla

Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He played over 1500 games in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings. Nicknamed ‘Iggy’, he led the NHL in goals and points in 2001–02, and won the Lester B. Pearson Award as its most valuable player as voted by the players. He is a three-time Olympian and two-time gold medal winner, including at the 2002 Winter Olympics. He was selected for the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020, during his first year of eligibility. His number 12 was retired by the Flames during a pre-game ceremony on March

About Jarome Iginla in brief

Summary Jarome IginlaJarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He played over 1500 games in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings. Nicknamed ‘Iggy’, he led the NHL in goals and points in 2001–02, and won the Lester B. Pearson Award as its most valuable player as voted by the players. He is a three-time Olympian and two-time gold medal winner, including at the 2002 Winter Olympics where he helped lead Canada to its first Olympic hockey championship in 50 years. He was selected for the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020, during his first year of eligibility. His number 12 was retired by the Flames during a pre-game ceremony on March 2, 2019. He has been recognized by both the Flames and the league for his community work; while a member of the Flames, he donated USD 2,000 to the children’s charity Kidsport for every goal he scored. He credits his grandfather for his hockey career, as with his mother working and father attending law school, he would not have had the opportunity to play sports at a high level if not for his grandfather’s support. His father, a lawyer, was originally from Nigeria and changed his first name from Adek unle to Elvis when he arrived in Canada. His surname means ‘Big tree’ in Yoruba, his father’s native language.

He grew up admiring other black hockey players, including Edmonton Oilers goaltender Grant Fuhr. He also played goaltender in his first two years of organized hockey before switching to the right wing. He spent his entire minor hockey career in St. Albert, leading the Alberta Midget Hockey League in scoring as a 15-year-old with 87 points for the St.Albert Midget Raiders in 1992–93. As a 16 year-old in 1993–94, he recorded six goals and 29 points in 48 regular games before playing an additional 19 in the playoffs. In 1994, he scored 33 goals and 71 points for the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League. The Blazers captured both the league title and the 1994 Memorial Cup. In his first full WHL season, his first trip to the WHL’s national championship in 1994–95, he earned a gold medal with the Canadian national junior team. In 1996, he was selected 11th overall by the Dallas Stars in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, but was traded to Calgary prior to making his NHL debut. A six-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames’ all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, and is second in assists to Al MacInnis. He scored 50 goals in a season on two occasions and is one of seven players in NHL history to score 30 goals in 11 consecutive seasons. In 2003–04, he captained the Flames to the Stanley Cup Finals and led the playoffs in goals.