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Iginla in a class by himself

March 11, 2009 10:58 AM | Posted by   Craig Simpson  

During my playing days with the Edmonton Oilers in the late 1980s and early 90s, you would have never heard me say anything good about a player on the Calgary Flames.

Sure, we respected them, but you have to remember, that was in the heyday of the Battle of Alberta, when for eight-straight years either the Edmonton Oilers or the Calgary Flames were in the Stanley Cup Finals, and the two teams had one of the best rivalries in sport.

As players, we hated each other and would never want to think that anyone in that dressing room was actually a good guy, that’s just the way it was.

A future Flame

Ironically, it was back in 1991 during that intense period of competition and tension that I met a young boy from St. Albert who would change that notion.

Jarome Iginla was just 14 at the time and I was playing for the Edmonton Oilers. He was a good young talent playing for St. Albert minor hockey and only a couple of years away from starting his junior career in Kamloops.

It was yet another Friday night family get together at Grandma and Grandpa Kirkland’s house when a polite, confident, wide-eyed young man shook my hand and introduced himself. He made quite an impression on me that night and I have watched his career with great admiration and interest ever since.

Even with the built-in hatred of the Flames and the bitter rivalry of Calgary and Edmonton, I have been a huge fan of Jarome Iginla. You see, that meeting wasn’t just by chance or coincidence, our wives are first cousins so you can imagine how the Kirkland Family reunions have taken on a whole new level of competition.

Last week, it was with keen interest and anticipation that I sat in my office and watched Iginla make Calgary Flames history. In the midst of a five-point night, Iginla put his stamp on the Flames’ record books. With point number 831 he became the Calgary Flames all-time leader in points and added to his goal scoring lead with his 400th goal of his career.

With so much great hockey still left in him, the sky is the limit on how far he sets the bar for the franchise.

Role model

What has been so impressive to watch about Jarome Iginla is the way he carries himself both on and off the ice. He is hard working, disciplined, determined, consistent, honest, thoughtful and unselfish. All traits that make for a great role model for young players to emulate. He has won over a city that loves their Flames, and has come to represent what is good about the game. Toughness, strength, speed and skill are all attributes that describe him.

In a game that at times gets a bad rap for the conduct of its players, Iginla has been a model citizen. His success on the ice is equalled with his role in the community. If there was ever a player that represented what a good “Canadian” player should look like, I can’t think of anyone better than Iginla.

With a solid team around him and a passionate city behind them, the Flames are looking to make a run for the one meaningful piece of hardware that has eluded the classy captain. Losing the 2004 Stanley Cup in Game 7 has to be one of his biggest disappointments of a great career. But with this latest milestone behind him, you can bet the captain's focus is set on winning the Cup.

Congratulations Jarome on an incredible accomplishment. Having played against some of the great Flames players of the past, it’s safe for me to say that by the end of your journey, you will have become the greatest Calgary Flame of all time.

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