Jarome Iginla was the face of the Calgary Flames franchise for over a decade and is arguably the greatest player in team history.
When the future Hall of Famer returned to Calgary for the first time as a visiting player on Tuesday night, he received a lengthy standing ovation and an awesome video tribute in an emotional pre-game ceremony at the Saddledome.
Iginla, who was acquired by the Flames in 1995 via a trade with Dallas, spent the first 16-plus seasons of his NHL career in Calgary before being dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins prior to last season’s trade deadline. He joined the Boston Bruins as a free agent in July.
The 36-year-old forward is the Flames’ all-time leader in points (1,095), goals (525), games played (1,219) and ranks second in assists (570). He also scored 30-plus goals in 11 straight seasons from 2000-01 through 2011-12, and served as team captain from 2003 through 2013.
He never won a Stanley Cup in Calgary, although he came close in 2003-04 when the Flames lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games despite having a 3-2 series lead with Game 6 on home ice.
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Thumbnail photo via @PeteBlackburn
