Getting Iggy with it!!

“I moved to No. 11, and I have never gone back until this year when it was taken, so I went to 17. Hopefully here in Kelowna, I can go back to 11.”

When Iginla made his Western Hockey League debut with the T-Birds last season, veteran forward Gabe Ludwig was wearing No. 11 before he was traded to the Prince Albert Raiders in the Nolan Allan deal. Brad Lambert, whom the T-Birds acquired last June from the Saskatoon Blades before the 19-year-old was eventually demoted by the Manitoba Moose to Seattle at the trade deadline, was awarded that two-digit number.

Regardless of what number Iginla wears on his newly pressed Kelowna Rockets jersey when the puck drops in late September, the soft-spoken forward wants to build on his rookie season.

“It was a bit of a tough year”, Iginla admitted. “I didn’t get as much opportunity as I would have liked. I hope in the long run it is good to get that grit and determination that will pay off for me down the road.”

You could argue Iginla entered the league as a rookie with the wrong team. The T-Birds were considered a contender even before the regular season started. An abundance of ice time wasn’t in the cards, specifically when several significant trades for older players pushed younger ones like Iginla down the depth chart.

“I didn’t really get to be out there [on the ice] as much as I would have wanted to, but I am hoping for a good year this year. It really is a mental test when you are not playing much. It is a good skill to have to just go out there and be good no matter what is going on or what the situation is.”

Iginla played in 48 regular season games with the T-Birds last season, scoring five of his six goals at ShoWare Center. In the playoffs, the first-round prospect pick was a health scratch for 21 of the team’s 24 playoff and Memorial Cup games.

“I just try to be the best player I can be,” when asked if he envisions himself as a top-six forward with the Kelowna Rockets this season.

“It was a long season”, Iginla added. “I want to take it lightly with a few things [injuries] that have been nagging me. I think giving my mind a bit of a rest, but I will come back and train hard and improve all areas of my game, so I can be the best I can be coming into this season.”

Iginla will undoubtedly want to impress his new teammates with his on-ice presence, with the knowledge that NHL scouts will be watching his every move.

“It is exciting. You want to go as high as you can go”, Iginla asked about being eligible for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. “You just have to keep focused on the process of what you do every day and not look too far into the future.”

While wanting to help his new team win hockey games, Iginla is hesitant in revealing his personal goals. You would think one would be participating in the NHL-CHL Top Prospects game, which is a showcase of the top draft-eligible players for the 2024 draft.

“Obviously I would like to play in that,” after RocketFAN brought up the topic. “That would be a lot of fun. I like to keep my goals a little private and just have the best year that I can.”

Iginla will know several of his new teammates when he enters the Rockets dressing room at Prospera Place. Ethan Mittelsteadt and Ty Hurley, acquired from Seattle in the Colton Dach deal are former teammates, as is d-man Landon Cowper. Having skated with Jackson DeSouza and Dylan Wightman in the summer, those five will make the transition an easy one.

While Iginla is excited about joining his new team, he is also looking forward to improving his game with a new coaching staff.

“I am super excited to play under Kris Mallette”, Iginla commented.

“He seems like a nice guy, and I am glad to have the opportunity to play for him.”

by Regan Bartel

Getting Iggy with it!!

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