Though he played his final NHL game more than ayear ago, an era will end for the Calgary Flames and the entire National Hockey League on Monday morning, as Jarome Iginla will officially announce his retirement at a press conference at the Scotiabank Saddledome. It's rather fitting that the career of one of the most decorated players in hockey history will come to an end in the building where he had some of his biggest accomplishments.
Drafted by the Dallas Stars at the 1995 NHL Draft, Iginla became a Flame in a December 1995 trade that saw Joe Nieuwendyk, then in the midst of a contract holdout, head to Texas in exchange for Iginla and depth forward Corey Millen. Following a Memorial Cup victory that spring with the Kamloops Blazers he signed his first big-league contract and hopped on a plane, debuting in Game 3 of the Flames' first round series against the Chicago Blackhawks on April 21, 1996.
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After his first few seasons saw Iginla adapt to the challenges of the NHL, he became one of the most consistent offensive producers in the game while suiting up for the Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings. In the 19 seasons he played that weren't shorted by lockouts, he scored 20 or more goals 17 times and 30 or more goals on a dozen occasions - he captured the Maurice Richard Trophy as the NHL's goal-scoring leader twice. From his regular season debut in 1996-97 until the end of his final season in 2016-17, no NHL player played more games or scored more goals. Only Joe Thornton and Jaromir Jagr amassed more points during that period. His 625 career goals are tied for 15th all-time in NHL history. His 1300 points are 34th all-time.
"There it is! Point #1000!"
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) July 25, 2018
1000 career points - just one of the many milestones Iggy put up in a #Flames jersey. #ThankYouIggy pic.twitter.com/70xI0Xlo4w
Iginla's individual trophy case speaks to his versatility and character. He captured NHL trophies for leadership, humanitarian work, goals, points and for being the league's most valuable player, as voted by the NHLPA. On a team level, he captured championships at every major international event of his era: the World Juniors, World Championship, World Cup of Hockey, and Winter Olympics (twice). As a junior he led the the Blazers to a pair of Memorial Cups. Quite literally, the only major trophy that eluded him over his two decades in the game was the Stanley Cup - and he came within a goal of winning that in 2004.
In addition to being one of hockey's most decorated players of his generation, Iginla was also one of the most historically notable. He retires as the all-time Flames franchise leader in games, goals and points. He's the longest tenured captain in Flames history, and the first black captain in NHL history. He was the face of Canadian hockey for several years until Sidney Crosby's debut, then remained a respected elder statesman of the game. He's as beloved by fans around the league for his kind nature off the ice as he was respected for his competitiveness on it.
At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, he famously bought a hotel room for fans that drove down from Calgary and had planned to sleep in their car. During the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs, he famously fought at key moments in all four series. He's among the all-time leaders in Gordie Howe hat tricks for having a goal, an assist and a fight in the same game.
Iginla's last NHL game was April 9, 2017 with the Kings. With a year already elapsed in his three year waiting period for Hockey Hall of Fame enshrinement, he's eligible for induction in 2020. Given his laundry list of team and individual accomplishments and his historical importance to the game in Canada and more broadly, he's a safe bet to be a first-ballot inductee.