In light of Jarome Iginla's retirement announcement, it's only fitting to reflect on the top moments from his legendary career.
Iginla was drafted 11th overall by the Dallas Stars in 1995, but was traded to the Calgary Flames before ever suiting up in the NHL. The Alberta native spent 16 seasons in Calgary before stops in Pittsburgh, Boston, Colorado, and Los Angeles.
In the end, Iginla suited up in 1,554 games, registering 625 goals and 675 assists while winning two Rocket Richards, the Art Ross, the Lester B. Pearson (now the Ted Lindsay), and two Olympic gold medals.
Undoubtedly, Iginla will end up in the Hockey Hall of Fame as soon as he's eligible, and it's moments like these that defined his remarkable tenure in the NHL.
Ousting the Canucks in Game 7
In Round 1 of Calgary's memorable 2004 playoff run, a tooth-and-nail battle led to Game 7 versus the Vancouver Canucks. The Flames captain rose to the occasion, burying two goals before assisting the clinching goal in overtime to send his team through.
A heroic Game 5
After the Canucks, Calgary improbably eliminated the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks, the two top seeds in the Western Conference. Iggy and the Flames then met the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.
Deadlocked at two games apiece, Iginla took over in Game 5, ripping the go-ahead goal off the post and past Nikolai Khabibulin in the second period. He went on to cement his signature performance with a helmetless rampage during a near two-minute shift in overtime, ultimately setting up Oleg Saprykin's game-winner to bring the Flames one win shy of a championship. He finished the 2004 playoffs with 22 points in 26 games.
Point No. 1,000
Would you expect Iginla to score his 1,000th point any other way? His patented leg kick and laser beam of a wrist shot terrorized opposing goalies throughout his entire career.
600-goal club
It wasn't his prettiest highlight, but Iginla became the 19th player to join the illustrious 600-goal club in January 2016. As it stands now, he's tied with Joe Sakic for 15th all time on the NHL's goal list.
Setting up the Golden Goal
The sound bite is permanently etched into the minds of Canadian hockey fans: "Iggy!"
Of course, it was Sidney Crosby who shouted it right before Iginla set him up for the unforgettable goal, which clinched 2010 Olympic gold for Canada on home ice.
Iginla had a knack for stepping up for his country on the biggest stage, as he also potted two goals and an assist in the deciding game of the 2002 Olympics.
Bonus: Fighting Lecavalier
As prolific of a scorer he was, Iginla was also as tough as they come. His fight versus fellow superstar Vincent Lecavalier in the 2004 Stanley Cup Final embodied everything that he was capable of and instantly created an all-time moment.
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