Jarome Iginla Honored Twice: Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame and ESPN Top 25

Calgary Flames legend Jarome Iginla was honored twice this past week, adding to his impressive list of NHL accolades.

First, Iginla was inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame, along with Kelly Kisio and Dave King. Reflecting on the honor, Iginla expressed gratitude and nostalgia.

“It’s very special, an honor,” he said. “It makes me look back and think about how fast it went. It makes you feel a little older, you’re getting closer to 50. It’s hard to believe because it feels like yesterday I was playing minor hockey.”

The first award sheds light on the reason for the second recognition he received.

In a less official, but still important recognition, Iginla was also named by ESPN to their list of the 25 Greatest NHL Players of the 21st Century, landing at number 20 on the list. ESPN’s Kristen Shilton highlighted Iginla’s unique qualities, describing him as “the last of his kind,” a true power forward with a rare blend of elite skill, power, vision and toughness.

With the goal of highlighting the greatest athletes from 2000 to the present, his place on the list is understandable. While he hasn’t played since the 2016-17 season, when he played for both the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche, his turn-of-the-century stats remain remarkable. He did most of his damage as a member of the Flames.

According to Statmuse, Iginla has scored 563 goals since 2000, which ranks third in the NHL behind only Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. His 1,167 points are the seventh-most in the league during that span. He has played in the eighth-most games and scored the third-most power-play goals. He ranks third in game-winning goals and fourth in PIMs.

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Iginla has also won numerous awards, including two Rocket Richard Trophies, the Art Ross Trophy, the Ted Lindsay Award, the NHL Foundation Player Award, the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the Mark Messier Leadership Award. He was also a three-time finalist for the Hart Trophy and earned multiple All-Star team selections.

Iginla’s career accomplishments place him among the elite in NHL history, and the recognition he has received from both the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame and ESPN’s rankings reflects the impact he has had on the game. Both accolades are truly deserved.

Iginla is now Special Advisor to Flames GM Craig Conroy. After an award-winning 16-year tenure with the organization as a player, Iginla is passing on his wisdom to the younger generation.

“Obviously we’re very pleased with the players we’ve brought in, there’s a lot of guys we’re very excited about who are talented and skilled,” he noted of this year’s NHL Entry Draft.