Tag: Jarome Iginla

Tij Iginla (Jarome’s son!) becomes the 1st ever draft pick of Utah HC

Utah’s first NHL draft pick is trying to follow in Hall of Fame footsteps.

The Utah Hockey Club may not have an official mascot or even a permanent color scheme, but now, it has its first draft pick.

Utah, formerly the Arizona Coyotes, made 17-year-old Kelowna, Canada, forward Tij Iginla — son of Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla — the sixth pick in the 2024 draft and the first selection in franchise history after it relocated from Tempe ahead of the upcoming season.

The elder Iginla played for 21 seasons, leading the NHL in points once (2002) and goals twice (2002, 2004). The younger Iginla, who comes from the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL, was one of the draft’s top prospects and recently helped lead Canada to a gold medal at the 2024 IHHL U18 World Championships in Finland.

Many expected Iginla — who is believed to be the first second-generation Black player in NHL history — would land with the Calgary Flames, with whom his father played 17 seasons, almost the entirety of his career. However, the Flames chose not to trade up for Iginla despite having the opportunity to do so.

NHL fans were thrilled to see Tij follow in Jarome’s footsteps on Friday night.

How the fans reacted

 

 

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Three Notre Dame alumni nominated for King Clancy Memorial Trophy

Hopefully, one of them wins!

With the Stanley Cup playoffs underway, it’s time to speculate who will win this year’s awards in the NHL. One award is the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. This award is presented to the player who best exemplifies leadership on his team at all times and has been a humanitarian in his community. Past winners include Pekka Rinne, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Henrik Zetterberg, Patrice Bergeron, Vincent Lecavalier, Jarome Iginla, Ron Francis, Curtis Joseph and Ray Bourque.

Every team has a nominee, and this year, Notre Dame is well represented. That’s because three players who once suited up for the Irish are among the nominees. That means there’s a good chance Notre Dame will have one of its own be listed among some elite company, although the award only has been presented since 1988. Here are the three former Irish players to watch out for this awards season, two of which play for playoff teams: