Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Iginla is now on the Hockey Hall of Fame.
In 2002, he won the Art Ross trophy—the same year he won an Olympic gold medal, a Maurice “Rocket” Richard trophy, a Ted Lindsay award, and the Best National Hockey League Player ESPY award.
Two years after, he again won both the Maurice “Rocket” Richard trophy and the Best National Hockey League Player ESPY award, including two more: the King Clancy Memorial trophy, and the National Hockey League Foundation Player award.
He has won three Olympic gold medals and a Mark Messier Leadership trophy, among other prestigious achievements.
Born to a Nigerian father and an American mother, Iginla loved hockey as a child and was inspired by black players, especially the legendary Grant Fuhr.
One of the best hockey players in history, Iginla, 42, is fourth black player to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
He was first black player to lead the Canadian National Hockey League in goals and points, and also the first black male athlete to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics.
Iginla didn’t just play to score solo points. He also tops the chart on assisted scored points in Canada’s international hockey games.
The hockey wizard scored over 600 goals, a feat achieved by only 22 players in Canadian hockey history. He was also one of 34 Canadian players to have 1,300 points.
In addition to his impressive wins, Iginla was six-time National Hockey League All-Star—the most decorated player in his Calgary Flames’ team.
Twice, he scored 50 goals in one season. In 11 straight seasons, he scored 30 goals—one of seven players to achieve this in the game of hockey.
A kind man who loves giving back to society, Iginla donated mostly anonymously, except for the $2000 he gave to the children charity Kidsport each time he scored a goal.
He is loved by fans and fellow players alike—his teammate voted him the Most Valuable Player, which made him win the Ted Lindsay award.
His other achievements include twice winning the Canadian Junior Memorial Cup and the World Cup of Hockey. While playing for Blazers, he scored five goals in one tournament, pushing his team to first position in the national championship.
Iginla played for the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings.
He was the 18th Captain in the Flames franchise history and wore the Captain’s C for decades. The Flames won global accolades under his watch.
His leadership skills, as well as talent, were outstanding. He was that player trusted to open a game with a hat-trick, just like he did for his 2010 team against Norway in Vancouver.
Iginla played from 1996 to 2017 and bowed out amid heavy applause.
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