A Kamloops Blazers legend, Jarome Iginla will go into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020, his first year of eligibility.
Iginla, a longtime Calgary Flames captain, had 1,300 points – 625 goals and 675 assists – in 1,554 games during in his 21-year NHL career. He retired in 2017, having played most of his career in Calgary, with stops in Pittsburgh, Boston, Colorado and Los Angeles.
He won the Art Ross Trophy as the top scorer in the 2001-02 season with a league-best 96 points. He also won the Rocket Richard Trophy as the top goal-scorer in 2001-02, scoring 52 goals, and won that award again in 2003-04 with 41 goals, tied with Rick Nash and Ilya Kovalchuk.
The St. Albert, Alta. native had 12 consecutive seasons with at least 30 goals, from 2000-14, excluding the lockout shortened 2012-13 season.
Iginla was also a two-time Olympic gold medal winner, first at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and again at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, where he famously set up Sidney Crosby’s golden goal against the United States in overtime during the gold medal game.
Iginla also helped Canada win the IIHF World Championship in 1997, the World Juniors in 1996, and the World Cup of Hockey in 2004.
As a Blazer, Iginla won two Memorial Cups in 1994 and 1995 during his three seasons with the team he now co-owns. In 183 games with Kamloops, he had 236 points – 102 goals and 134 assists – and won the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as the league’s most outstanding player in his final season, 1995-96.
Iginla will be the fourth Black person enshrined in the hall, joining former Edmonton Oilers goalie Grant Fuhr, Angela James of the Canadian women’s national team, and Willie O’Ree, the league’s first Black player, who was inducted as a builder.
He joins former Blazers Mark Recchi and Scott Niedermayer in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Joining Iginla in the Class of 2020 is Marian Hossa, Kevin Lowe, Doug Wilson, Kim St-Pierre, and Ken Holland in the builder’s category.
Welcome to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Jarome Iginla. #HHOF2020 | #HHOF pic.twitter.com/UFnySXXgm4
— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) June 24, 2020
Class of 2020!! 🎉🎉🎉 @HockeyHallFame
Congratulations Iggy! 🔥🔥🔥#Kamloops pic.twitter.com/n5oC66KD9i— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) June 24, 2020
What. A. Career.
No question, Iggy belongs in the Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/TCjFiKTIFm
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) June 24, 2020
