By: Carter Hochman | Follow me on Twitter @Carterr33
It’s certainly been a long time coming, but Jarome Iginla is finally getting his Hall of Fame induction ceremony later this month. Iginla was officially inducted back in 2020, but due to, well, obvious circumstances, the physical in-person ceremony couldn’t be held.
Let’s look back at Iginla’s career before we get to the numbers, shall we? Iginla was incidentally drafted by the Dallas Stars back in 1995 in the first round, 11th overall. He was then traded by the Stars to the Calgary Flames and never played a game for Dallas. Ironically, he’s Dallas’ first-ever draft pick to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
In his ’95-’96 rookie season, Iginla (who’s famously known for wearing #12) sported the #24 jersey and picked up 21 goals and 29 assists for a 50 point season at age 19. He was later named to the All-Rookie team, which was just the beginning of his significant awards. For the ’01-’02 season, he won the Art Ross trophy for most points in a season (96) and the Ted Lindsay Award, which is given to the NHL’s most outstanding regular season player as voted on by members of the NHLPA. In the ’03-’04 season, Iginla was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which is given to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. In ’08-’09, he was awarded the Mark Messier Leadership Award, which, I think, speaks for itself, and finally, he was a two-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner for most goals in a season. It was a remarkable career. Oh yeah, he also won two Olympic gold medals for Canada.
I think I speak for many people here, but when it was announced that Jarome Iginla was signing with the Boston Bruins in the 2013-2014 season, we as a fanbase knew just how impactful he would be right away. By that point in his career, the name Iginla alone carried gravitas throughout any locker room. He was respected, he’d proven himself to be an incredibly valuable piece in Pittsburgh the season prior, and his career in Calgary spoke for itself. During his 78 games in the black and gold, Iginla amassed 30 goals and 31 assists and was +34 on the season. Yes, you read that correctly, +34. Alas, however, we couldn’t give him a Stanley Cup. We came so close, and I’m going to move on before I make us all depressed.
All that being said, 20 years, 1,554 games played 625 goals, 675 assists, a crisp 1300 points, a final +/- rating of +30, and now officially a Hall of Famer to top it all off. Congrats, Jarome, you’ve earned it, and Bruins nation will forever love you for what you brought to the team in your short time with us.
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