Kukla's Korner Hockey
Entries with the tag: jarome+iginla
Iginla Back On The Offensive
by Paul on 10/21/09 at 08:46 AM ET
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from George Johnson of the Calgary Herald,
Sauntering down the press box with six and a half minutes remaining, the injured Mike Commodore glanced up from fiddling with his BlackBerry, spotting a familiar face tapping tentatively on a laptop.
“Hey, how’s it going?’’ asked the long-ago local folk hero, his trademark red fright wig/afro shorn fashionably short.
A noncommital shrug.
“Not bad. Same old.’’
“Yeah, I hear you,’’ replied the former Calgary Flame. “Same old . . . ’’
He shook his head, glanced heavenwards, in knowing resignation.
“Same old Jarome.’’
Yup, same old Jarome. At last.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Blame The Fantasy People
by Paul on 10/07/09 at 03:21 PM ET
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from Todd Kimberley at NHL.com,
What’s behind all the “what’s-up-with-Jarome” chatter in Calgary?
Craig Conroy has his own pet theory.
“I think a lot of it has to do with fantasy pools now,” chuckled Conroy, a longtime teammate of Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla.
“Everybody’s got the fantasy guys ... they might have picked Jarome first overall, so they want him to get some points,” Conroy said prior to Tuesday’s win over Montreal. “But yeah, it’s always been that way. In a Canadian market, they want to see a star player play well early, so they know this is going to be a great year.”
As barometers go, this one has revealed much of the charged climate and high expectations in Flames Nation these days.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Iginla Talks Flames
by Paul on 07/08/09 at 08:49 PM ET
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from Peter Zuubrier of CalgaryFlames.com,
“It’s very exciting to get Jay (Bouwmeester) to join us… that’s a great defence group that we have, it’s definitely the strength of our club,” said Iginla.
“They’re guys that can play all different ways, move the puck, skate, play defensively, chip in and help out offensively; they’re very well rounded… If you look at our team we have very good defensemen, but they’ll also contribute offensively. You look at some of the top offensive teams in the league and the defence is a big part of it
The bitter taste leftover from the ending of last season seemed to linger briefly for Iginla, who took responsibility as team captain for the coaching turnover.
“It’s always hard as players when there’s a coaching change. We didn’t achieve the results we were hoping for (last season) and the responsibility is definitely on us… We can improve, we need to improve, and we will improve,” said Iginla who is nonetheless anxious to play for his new coaches.
“It’s very exciting. As a player (Brent Sutter) was very successful and coaching at every level he’s been very successful… I’ve talked to Brent and he’s definitely talked about the defensive side of the puck. Starting there and working out… That can be a strength of our team, we want it to be, and we need to get back there, but we also know it can’t end there and we need to do better on both sides.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Beware Of The Fired-Up Iginla
by Paul on 04/25/09 at 01:52 PM ET
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from Vicki Hall of the Calgary Herald,
“Was I fired up? Yeah I was fired up,” the captain said. “I still think I’m fired up, and I think all of our guys are fired up as far as wanting to win this series.”
But the captain said he is fuelled by the chance to take a 3-2 lead in the series—not a chance to silence incessant trash talk.
“In our dressing room, we do whatever it takes within as close to the rules as we can to win,” he said.
“That’s what it’s about. You get out there, and you know that every team in the playoffs wants the same thing. We’re definitely very hungry for it.”
As for his flash of rage in Game 3?
“It’s part of competing,” he said. “Sometimes, sure, there are moments when you don’t act with the best control.
“But the identify of our team is to be very aggressive, to a man, each guy, to compete and find that balance with your emotions.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Iginla On The Upcoming Playoffs
by Paul on 04/12/09 at 10:22 PM ET
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from Allan of the Globe and Mail,
...But the optimistic captain of the Flames sees something else: His best shot yet to win a Stanley Cup.
Seriously. Iginla said that. Even after all the recent setbacks – the losses, injuries, a power play that hasn’t scored since Hakan Loob played here – Iginla has gone on record to say that facing the Chicago Blackhawks in the postseason is “a good matchup for us” and that the Flames will persevere in the end.
“Do I still believe this is my best chance to win the Cup? Absolutely,” he confirmed.
This is what captains say in the darkest hours, and make no mistake, there hasn’t been a lot of sunshine around the Flames lately. Soon after Calgary ended its regular season Saturday night with a 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers, several players offered a battle cry that sounded bleak yet hopeful at the same time. “We’ve been bad against Chicago,” the players said. “We can’t be any worse.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Evening Line
by Paul on 04/08/09 at 07:32 PM ET
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“We’re trying to work on the power-play. We’re going over it and there’s some improvements.”
-The Flames Jarome Iginla via Flames Insider after practice today. By the way, the Flames are 0=37 on the PP.
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Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Iginla Shooting For Records
by Paul on 02/27/09 at 09:25 AM ET
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from Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun,
Jacques Lemaire winced at the notion.
The Minnesota Wild head coach had just put his team through the paces at the Saddledome yesterday before being told how close Jarome Iginla is to two key milestones.
As the captain and the Flames head into tonight’s clash against Minny, Iginla needs two goals to reach 400 for his career and three points to become’s the franchise’s all-time points leader, surpassing Theo Fleury.
Lemaire mockingly flinched and then replied with a wry grin: “Tell him to take his time. He’s gonna get it. There’s no rush. He’ll get it. There’s lots of games left.”
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Not A Thing Wrong With Iginla
by Paul on 02/14/09 at 08:30 AM ET
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from Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun,
Scoreless in his last six outings and the author of just two goals his last 18 outings, Iginla will be asked 14 different ways to account for his pause in production. Never mind the fact he has 14 points during his “slump” to remain amongst league scoring leaders—everyone wants to know “what’s wrong with Iggy?”
Given the character of the game’s ultimate captain, No. 12 will undoubtedly answer by suggesting he’d like to be scoring more and is expecting more of himself as the team’s leader.
However, the answer he should give is simple: Nothing.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
All About Iginla
by Paul on 01/22/09 at 10:07 AM ET
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from Mike Board of CalgaryFlames.com,
Certainly he could have left the Flames for more money as a free agent. But he hasn’t. It’s like a job that is not quite complete. And a few of his mentors, Joe Sakic, Steve Yzerman and Mario Lemieux, have all played for the same team throughout their career.
“There are a lot of great hockey cities. For the fans and the passion, there isn’t a city that beats Calgary, ” said Iginla when he signed his five-year, $35 million deal in July 2007.
With Iginla looking to lead the Flames for years to come, we thought we should get to know him just a little better and bring you 10 things you should know about Jarome Iginla.
ONE: The name
The birth certificate reads Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla. Born July 1, 1977 in Edmonton. We know him as Jarome or Iggy. Opponents know him as tough and relentless. Iginla, by the way, means ‘Big Tree’ in Yoruba, his father’s native language.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Comparing Iginla To Obama
by Paul on 01/20/09 at 07:01 AM ET
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from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,
The parallels in their personal histories are startling, remarkable even.
They are both products of an interracial marriage. Their fathers, black, hailed from Africa, one from Kenya, the other from Nigeria. Their mothers, white, hailed from the hinterland, one from Kansas in the American Midwest, the other from Edmonton in Canada’s frozen north.
The respective marriages faltered early, when they were babies, and so both were raised in households where the grandparents played prominent roles. They were accomplished athletes - one played high-school basketball in the U.S. the other major junior hockey in Canada. They were known, even in the early, more anonymous stages of their lives, for their leadership abilities.
Neither ever backed away from a fight, and while Barack Obama didn’t drop the gloves with Willie Mitchell or Cody McCormick or David Hale - as Calgary Flames forward Jarome Iginla did earlier this NHL season - the campaign to be president of the United States eventually evolved into something of a street fight in its latter days, too.
added 7:19am, A similar type story from Terry Frei of the Denver Post....
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Barack+Obama, Jarome+Iginla,
Your Newest Lady Byng Candidate
by Paul on 01/02/09 at 06:54 PM ET
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from George Johnson of Flames Insider at the Calgary Herald,
While sorting through candidates for the inevitable halfway-home awards selections (Malkin or Ovechkin for the Hart? Nabokov or Niklas Backstrom or Tim Thomas/Manny Fernandez for the Vezina), one possibility simply leapt off the stats page, passed through the corneas and deadened the brain: Jarome Iginla for the ... Lady Byng?!…
Among the NHL’s Top 10 scorers, only NJ Devils’ sprite Zach Parise, Washington’s super-slick Nicklas Backstrom and the reigning Byng holder, Pavel Datsyuk of the Wings, have spent less time in the bin than the Flames’ inspirational captain.
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Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Iginla’s Strange Start
by Alanah McGinley on 11/08/08 at 01:18 PM ET
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From Jean Lefebvre at the Herald Hockey blog,
And it hasn’t been a poor start for Iginla so much as a strange one. In 14 games, for instance, he’s had six multiple-point efforts (two of which led to a NHL first star of the week award) and six contests in which he’s been completely held off the sheet.
There’s also been the matter of linemates. Just when you think Mike Keenan has given up on teaming Iginla with Todd Bertuzzi, the coach gives the wingers another whirl as a partnership. Just when it seems Conroy is destined for permanent bottom-six duty, he gets another chance to play with Iginla (and, as was the case Thursday against Nashville, delivers a three-point performance to go with Iginla’s four-pointer).
Update 1:51pm ET: In other Calgary news, after 14 straight starts Kiprusoff is finally getting a night off.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: jarome+iginla,
Pick One Player - Vinny Or Iggy
by Paul on 10/29/08 at 09:13 AM ET
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from Adam Kimelman of NHL.com,
In the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, one of the most memorable exchanges occurred in Game 3, when the Lightning’s Vincent Lecavalier and the Flames’ Jarome Iginla, each team’s best player and biggest star, dropped the gloves.
The fight sparked both teams to a memorable seven-game series, eventually won by the Lightning.
Who won the fight that night in Calgary four years ago is pretty meaningless. What does matter, though, is who the better player is. That’s for the fans to decide.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jarome+Iginla, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Iggy For Captain Canada
by Paul on 10/28/08 at 02:01 PM ET
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from Cassie Campbell of Blog and Columns at CBC,
For me, the biggest question is: Who should be the Canadian Olympic team captain?
Of course, there are a plethora of players to choose from - Sidney Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier, Scott Niedermayer, Joe Sakic, among others - but my clear-cut choice for the job is Jarome Iginla.
Here are five reasons why:
1. His intensity on the ice.
Iginla can do it all. He can score, play defence and be efficient on both specialty teams. He simply is the complete package. I would add in that he can fight too, but in international hockey that area of his game will not be tested.
Filed in: Non-NHL Hockey, International Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Evening Line
by Paul on 10/25/08 at 06:15 PM ET
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“Maybe it’s a good thing I’m not with Team Canada anymore. Because every time we saw Jarome, he was auditioning (and he’d score three or four). I’ve got the white flag now — tell him I’m not there. Go do it against Detroit.”
-Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky talking about Jarome Iginla. More on the Flames/Coyotes matchup tonight at Flames Insider.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, Phoenix Coyotes | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jarome+Iginla, Wayne+Gretzky,
Iginla On Fighting
by Paul on 10/15/08 at 05:30 PM ET
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from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,
Does it make any sense to have your best player missing that much time, especially if he’s only taking a fourth-liner to the box with him? Coach Mike Keenan figured Iginla had no choice in the matter and hinted that he thought an instigating penalty was warranted against McCormick for starting the fight.
Iginla, for his part, said he didn’t go looking for fights; that they tended to come in spurts for him; and that it may be 30 games before he gets into another scrap. But he also suggested that he couldn’t really play his game without resorting to fighting at some point when provoked.
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Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Flames/Canucks In A Battle Last Night
by Paul on 10/12/08 at 08:29 AM ET
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from Flames Insider at the Calgary Herald,
Geez, tough marker. Canucks coach Alain Vigneault appeared reluctant to give the Flames much credit for their one clear decision — Jarome Iginla’s left-hand flooring of Willie Mitchell in the first period.
“They have a great leader obviously in Jarome and he was a man on a mission tonight,” said Vigneault after his team’s 4-3 overtime triumph on Pavol Demitra’s heroics. “But you know Willie was a man on a mission too — he did a great job defensively against him and he stood up toe to toe. If Jarome’s sweater doesn’t rip, I don’t think he wins that one.”
continued for more reaction to the OT win by Calgary and watch the Iginal/Mitchell battle below…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jarome+Iginla, Willie+Mitchell,
Bertuzzi with Iginla and Langkow in Training Camp
by Alanah McGinley on 09/19/08 at 05:53 PM ET
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From the CP via TSN,
Keenan, who coached Bertuzzi when the two were with the Vancouver Canucks in the late 1990s, said he’s excited to see what the six-foot-three, 226-pound forward can accomplish this season.
‘’He’s more experienced than when I coached him,’’ Keenan said. ‘’He’s in a good space mentally. He’s positive about himself and about his opportunity here he views this I’m sure as a good new start.”
Keenan confirmed he’ll test out Bertuzzi on Calgary’s top line to start training camp.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: daymond+langkow, jarome+iginla, mike+keenan, todd+bertuzzi,
Iginla Looking Forward To Season
by Paul on 09/12/08 at 09:11 AM ET
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from Steve MacFarlane of the Calgary Sun,
“We lost some very good players that were big parts of our team—and they’re going to help the teams they went to, no question—but the people we brought in are very good also,” said Iginla of the new-look Flames.
“I’d say that we’re probably a little grittier, and maybe a little bigger, but I think we still have that skilled side.”
Too many goals against was what plagued the Flames last year, so the team hopes the grittier, defensively conscious additions will make the difference after a third consecutive first-round playoff exit.
“You’ve got to be able to play more than one-dimensional,” said Iginla.
“I think it’s gonna be great, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
more…
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Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Flames Will Be Tough To Play Against
by Paul on 07/14/08 at 08:44 AM ET
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from Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun,
Craig Conroy has a theory, and it’s likely to make Flames fans giddy with anticipation.
“We’re not in the offensive mode like we were with Juice (Kristian Huselius) and Tangs (Alex Tanguay), but we’re kind of like getting back to the team of ‘04 with grit,” said the veteran Flames centre.
“We’ll make it really uncomfortable to play against. Do you really want those guys like (Todd) Bertuzzi and Iggy coming at you and those young guys flying at you, too? I’m starting to see a lot more similarities.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: craig+conroy, jarome+iginla, todd+bertuzzi,
2008 Nominees for the Lester B. Pearson Award
by Alanah McGinley on 05/01/08 at 01:58 PM ET
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Update 2:42pm ET: Some comments from Eric Duhatschek at the Globe & Mail, who notes that hockey writers and players actually agreed on these selections. A rare event.
From the NHLPA Press Release:
TORONTO (May 1, 2008) – The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) announced today that Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames, Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals are finalists for the 2007-08 Lester B. Pearson Award. The Lester B. Pearson Award is presented annually to the “most outstanding player” in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: alex+ovechkin, evgeni+malkin, jarome+iginla,
Game 7 Experience Counts
by Paul on 04/22/08 at 09:34 AM ET
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from the Calgary Herald,
So, going into a game like this we’ve got lots of guys who have been in positive situations,” said Iginla. “So you draw on those things. You definitely do. You get good vibes going.
Imagine the whopper that Alex Tanguay could weave.
Game 7! . . . Stanley Cup final! . . . two goals! . . . including the game-winner as the Colorado Avalanche shaded the New Jersey Devils in 2001.
Also skating in that championship skirmish was Stephane Yelle, the NHL’s active leader in Game 7 appearances—11, including tonight.
Mike Keenan, meanwhile, will skipper a Game 7 for the 10th time—a league record.
But everyone—no matter how fat the resume—will be fighting jitters.
more on the Flames…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: alex+tanguay, jarome+iginla, mike+keenan,
Taking a Time Out
by Alanah McGinley on 04/16/08 at 04:13 PM ET
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From TSN:
Calgary Flames assistant coach Rich Preston and Flames captain Jarome Iginla got into a very heated argument during a video session this morning.
The argument was based on a disagreement between coach and captain over coverage in game four last night.
Flames coach Mike Keenan acknowledges the argument took place and admits it was heated but says Iginla later apologized and the two were put into a room together to settle their differences. ‘’All brothers scrap,’’ Keenan joked. ‘’However, that doesn’t mean then don’t care for each other, in fact it’ the opposite,’’ he told TSN.ca.
They “care for each other”? This mellow, ‘kinder, gentler’ version of Iron Mike is hard to get used to…
Update 5:33pm ET: More on Flames frustrations from Eric Duhatschek at the Globe & Mail.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: jarome+iginla, mike+keenan, rich+preston,
Good Luck Charm
by Paul on 04/13/08 at 05:15 PM ET
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from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,
“We’re like the Queen,” the San Jose Sharks’ Joe Thornton was saying. “We travel with our own toilet seat.”
OK, that probably needs some explanation. The Sharks moved into the visitor’s dressing room at the Pengrowth Saddledome Sunday morning, to continue their best-of-seven Western Conference playoff series against the Flames. The Sharks usually travel with all kinds of team-related paraphernalia. Draped just inside the entrance to the dressing room are replicas of their Pacific Division champion banners (from 2001-02 and 2003-04). There are personalized Shark skate mats for each player; every one of the four walls also has a This Is Sharks Playoff time posters. All make sense – sort of.
Update 6:01pm ET: More from Duhatschek today on the Sharks/Flames series, including musings on Jarome Iginla’s “scoring slump”:
[On] Masters Sunday, Keenan invoked the spirit of Tiger Woods, noting how Iginla “reminds me of Tiger – a bogey on the first hole and then he’s going to birdie the rest of the 17. I’m looking forward to it.”
added 6:51pm, Why not- even more on the toilet seat from Working the Corners....
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: jarome+iginla, joe+thornton, mike+keenan,
Morning Line
by Paul on 04/10/08 at 07:40 AM ET
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via Eric Francis at Best of Seven,
“We read the papers like everybody else and know that nobody thinks we can win this series,” said Jarome Iginla following the win - the Flames sixth playoff win at the Shark Tank in seven playoff games dating back to 1995.
“But we believe we can and that’s all that matters. We match up well.”
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Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
50 For Iggy
by Paul on 04/06/08 at 10:47 AM ET
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from the CP via the Calgary Sun,
Jarome Iginla scored his 50th goal of the season Saturday to lead Calgary to a 7-1 victory over the sagging Vancouver Canucks and boost the Flames’ confidence before the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Iginla, who also had two assists for a career high 98-point season, counted at 12:35 of the third period on a give-and-go with Eric Nystrom. He had been seeking the 50th goal for five games.
Watch #50 as called by Jim Hughson of CBC…
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Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Give The Hart To Iginla
by Paul on 03/23/08 at 09:50 PM ET
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from Ross McKeon of Yahoo,
People in Washington and Pittsburgh won’t like to hear this, but if the season were to end today, Jarome Iginla is the league’s most valuable player.
The Hart Trophy race has never been so hotly contested. The competition is very much a reflection of close races, parity throughout the NHL and certainly a trickle-down effect of what a salary-cap system means to the league overall.
But the 30-year-old Edmonton native, who captains the provincial rival Calgary Flames, is the choice. He may not have as many goals and not as many points as others, but Iginla is the living, breathing, skating definition of the award: the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.
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Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Weight On Iginla
by Paul on 03/20/08 at 08:23 AM ET
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from Bruce Dowbiggin of the Calgary Herald,
Wednesday, captain Jarome Iginla and the players were back in full penitent mode after the 1-3 road trip. Vowing to up the intensity, they echoed comments made ad nauseum this season and last about getting serious. Vows that evaporate like a spring snow.
Coming from Iginla, there is at least the sense of sincerity in his resolve. In fact, the captain’s shoulders are a little too broad sometimes. As any dim bulb can see, he’s the Flames’ best player and has gone the long mile to make a success of the team. He’s a consummate diplomat with the media and as good with the fans as any player I’ve ever seen. Iggy shows up for games and fights.
That Captain Canada effort has given some players on the team a free pass, however.
Why do it when Jarome pulls the sled?
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Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Stars of the Week
by Alanah McGinley on 03/17/08 at 01:29 PM ET
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From NHL.com:
NEW YORK—Calgary Flames right wing Jarome Iginla, Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Petr Sykora and Florida Panthers goaltender Tomas Vokoun have been named the NHL’s ‘Three Stars’ for the week ending March 16.
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Tags: jarome+iginla, petr+sykora, tomas+vokoun,
Voting for Hart
by Alanah McGinley on 03/17/08 at 12:48 PM ET
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From Mike Brophy at The Hockey News,
It’s almost time to vote for the Hart Trophy and I’ve got to be honest, I am not even close to picking my winner.
I will say, though, I have narrowed it down to four candidates – goalies Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils and Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks, left winger Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and right winger Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames.
I firmly believe, had Sidney Crosby not missed so much action with that high ankle sprain, he would have repeated as the Hart winner. Oh well.
Update 5:50pm ET: John Glennon at The Tennessean wonders this about Ovechkin,
“His energy and his passion — if you could bottle that and stick it inside your players — you would have an unbelievable team.’’
It sounds like the description of an MVP, but there’s a catch. The Capitals are in a position similar to that of the Predators, two points out of the playoff picture with nine games remaining in the season.
Hence the question: Should Washington fall short of the postseason, should Ovechkin win the MVP? The last player to accomplish such a feat was a guy named Mario Lemieux, who did it while playing for Pittsburgh in 1986-87.
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: alex+ovechkin, hart+trophy, jarome+iginla, martin+brodeur, nhl+awards, roberto+luongo, sidney+crosby,
Iggy Talks Political Race
by Paul on 03/13/08 at 08:51 AM ET
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from Greg Wyshynski at the AOL Fanhouse,
Iginla was in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday with the Flames, who lost, 3-2, to the Capitals. Playing in a city consumed by U.S. presidential primary politics, I asked Iginla if he had any thoughts about the historic race between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton—two individuals redefining expectations and inspiring young fans as much as Iginla has. Although he doesn’t have a horse in the race as a Canadian citizen, is he keeping up with the primaries? And what does the first black captain in the NHL think about Obama’s chances to become the first black president in U.S. history?
Update 2:56pm ET -- Comments from Adam Proteau at THN:
I found this column by Washington-based writer Greg Wyshynski fascinating, because it quotes a bona fide NHL star weighing in on a topic considered absolutely radioactive in hockey circles: politics.
That’s right, politics – the ultimate uniting force on the planet today. And a player of Jarome Iginla’s stature actually talked on the record about it.
I’ll give you a moment to return your jaw to its non-slack position.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Morning Line
by Paul on 03/11/08 at 09:00 AM ET
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from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,
It was a memorable offensive night for a number of Calgary Flames: Jarome Iginla established a franchise record for goal-scoring…
“I dreamed of being a goal-scorer,” said Iginla. “I’m fortunate — I’ve been in those situations and good things have happened. But as I get older — I’m 30 years old and I can’t believe how fast things have gone — it’s really cool to set the goal-scoring mark, but I want to win a Stanley Cup. Looking back, I want to be part of the second team that brought a Stanley Cup to Calgary. People still tell stories about ‘89. I want to be part of that.”
more on the Flames game last night…
And I am really dragging this morning. You know that flu bug that is going around, well, I think it hit too close to home for me this morning…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Iginla Searching For Goals
by Paul on 01/30/08 at 09:57 AM ET
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from the Calgary Herald,
Iginla popped in a puck Jan. 5 at Los Angeles—part of a three-point night, not to mention his fifth tally in three outings—but zilch since.
This “little bit of a down cycle”—as coach Mike Keenan refers to it—marks his longest dry spell since November/December 2005 when Iginla went nine games before hanging a two-spot on the New Jersey Devils.
But it hasn’t been for a lack of trigger-pulling.
In these seven performances, he’s cranked 28 pucks on enemy goalkeepers.
“No, no, this is just a little tight patch,” says Iginla. “It feels good. I’ve had some chances. I’ve probably got to get to the net a little bit more. But it’s important not to think about it when the game comes....”
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Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
In the Alberta Deep Freeze
by Alanah McGinley on 01/29/08 at 07:18 PM ET
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From the Canadian Press,
NHL star Joe Thornton is walking through the freezer that is Alberta without a winter coat.
The San Jose Sharks centre, in Edmonton for an NHL game on Tuesday night, had on gloves and a toque but wore only a sports jacket when he and his teammates went to Rexall Place for the morning skate.
“He was telling everybody that he threw away his winter clothes when he moved to California,” said team media relations manager Tom Holy.
continued... and take note: factoring in wind chill it’s running about -44 (celsius) in Calgary and -51 in Edmonton.
I really do not miss living in the prairies… 
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Tags: dustin+boyd, jarome+iginla, joe+thornton,
ASG Captains—Iginla and Lecavalier
by Alanah McGinley on 01/17/08 at 03:41 PM ET
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NEW YORK (Jan. 17, 2008)—Right wing Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames and center Vincent Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning have been named team captains for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game, Sunday, Jan. 27 at Philips Arena in Atlanta (6 p.m. ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio), the National Hockey League announced today.
Iginla, making his fourth career All-Star game appearance, will lead the Western Conference. Lecavalier, skating in his third All-Star Game, will represent the East. Each player, on-pace to record a career-high scoring total this season, was voted to the starting lineups in All-Star fan balloting.
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Tags: all+star+game, asg, jarome+iginla, vincent+lecavalier,
Iginla Suggested Linemates
by Paul on 12/18/07 at 07:15 AM ET
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from the Calgary Sun,
Oh, but Iginla had a hand in that, too, having discussed the idea of putting Daymond Langkow and Kristian Huselius beside him with head coach Mike Keenan to mix things up a bit while the pair was slumping in November....
“I talk to Mike a fair amount, when things are good and when they’re not. Good dialogue,” said Iginla. “For a while there, as a group, we weren’t winning and we weren’t scoring a lot of goals.
“It was just an idea. It was just a small thing. Just part of one conversation.”
The fresh outlook has paid off on the scoresheet and—ultimately—in the win column. The team is 6-0-2 since the trio’s debut Dec. 1 and has amassed 39 points between them. After scoring 28 times in all of November, they’ve racked up 30 goals in eight games this month.
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Tags: Jarome+Iginla,
Ranking Iginla on Flames List of Greats
by Alanah McGinley on 11/29/07 at 02:09 PM ET
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From David Carroll at TSN,
Jarome Iginla is set to become the Flames all-time leader in games played on Thursday when he hits the ice against the Anaheim Ducks.
The 30-year-old is one of the NHL’s biggest stars and has an impressive list of awards and accomplishments. Iginla has won “Rocket” Richard Trophies, a Lester B. Person Award and an Art Ross Trophy.
He can score and, when needed, can mix it up but where does he rank on the list of Flames all-time greats?
How do you stack Iginla against players like Joe Nieuwendyk, Al MacInnis, Gary Suter, Theo Fleury, Lanny McDonald, Paul Reinhart and Mike Vernon and others? There’s also a poll available on the TSN front page.
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Tags: calgary+flames, jarome+iginla,
Calgary’s Fortunes Depend on Kiprusoff and Iginla
by Alanah McGinley on 11/17/07 at 01:21 PM ET
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From George Johnson at ESPN,
Iginla, the unquestioned emotional push behind the Flames, is thriving, while Kiprusoff, arguably the most spectacular goaltender in the game over the past three seasons, is nose-diving.
So the spirit is willing, but the flash has been weak.
As Iginla and Kiprusoff go, so go the Flames. And, right now, Calgary finds itself stuck on a treadmill to mediocrity, a game below .500 and a disquieting 1-5 stretch in what could hardly be described as a November to remember.
They’ve both been making headlines for altogether different reasons.
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Tags: calgary+flames, jarome+iginla, mikka+kiprusoff,
“Iggy’s” Fast Start
by Paul on 10/26/07 at 09:57 AM ET
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from the Calgary Sun,
...Heading into tonight’s contest against the Colorado Avalanche with six goals and 16 points in 10 games—his best career start to a season—Iginla is the toast of the town.
“You’re trying to improve at the start of the year, knowing from you heckling me that it’s not always happened,” he said yesterday with a laugh. “So you try to improve and do things differently.”
It’s something of a misnomer that Iginla is known as a slow starter. He’s collected at least seven points to start each of the last seven seasons, and reached double digits four times in that spell.
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Tags: calgary+flames, Jarome+Iginla,
All Iginla
by Paul on 09/19/07 at 04:59 PM ET
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Jarome Iginla participated in an NHL tele-conference today…
Q. You how important is it for you to get a few road wins under your belt right off the bat this year?
JAROME IGINLA: Yeah, I think last year was really, you know, it was tough on us to be at home and have the home record that we had, one of the top ones in the league; and then to go on the road and have one of the worst ones in the league. And then, you know, looking at it we were looking for answers the whole time.
And you know, I don’t know if we pinned it down, but I think as a group of players, I think we can all admit that we obviously have to find a way to be better. But you know, it’s not just ?? we also realize it wasn’t just bad breaks and bounces and things. There’s a lot of things to improve on. So part of it is confidence, but also it will be getting grittier and a little bit more determined and all those things. It will be nice to get off to a good start and get some good confidence and not to have to hear about the road record all year.
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Tags: calgary+flames, Jarome+Iginla,
