'Lots of Smiles'

BUFFALO - Joe Iginla didn’t walk the stage at the KeyBank Center when he was selected by the Flames in the third round of the NHL Draft, but a few minutes after the pick rolled across the screen at his Lake Country, B.C. home, the doorbell rang.

It was former Calgary captain Todd Simpson, with a fresh, new Flames jersey and cap for the club’s newest prospect.

And sporting that signature Iginla smile while doing his media rounds, it was clear to see that being selected by Calgary - the city where his father, Jarome, became a hockey legend - was just that much more special.

“It’s obviously really exciting, I was obviously hoping to go to the Flames because of my dad growing up,” the younger Iginla said. “I’ve been around the Flames my whole life, it was always kind of a dream to be on them. 

“Now that I’ve been drafted to them, it’s kind of a dream come true.”

As happy as Joe was to hear his name called, it was just as sweet for Jarome. Now a special advisor to Flames General Manager Craig Conroy, the Hall of Famer recused himself from any pre-draft discussions but admitted his former linemate might have given him a hint about his intentions along the way.

“I'm very excited and happy for him,” Iginla said over the phone. “We didn’t really know what to expect. I knew Craig (Conroy) did like him and that he met with him.

“But just like a couple years ago with my other son, (Utah Mammoth prospect) Tij, whenever Calgary would talk about them or do interviews, I would try to stay out of it as a dad. 

“Lots of smiles, for sure.”

Being the son of an NHL legend isn’t easy, and two years ago at the Sphere in Las Vegas, the prospect of Tij being selected to the Flames was a talking point in the media. Utah snagged the Kelowna Rockets star just before Calgary snapped up defenceman Zayne Parekh that evening. 

In the immediate moments after officially joining the organization, Joe, who plies his WHL trade with the Vancouver Giants, appeared ready and waiting to jump in with both feet.

“People say pressure’s a privilege,” he said, adding he’s heard just about every chirp in the book from opponents on the ice. “I just look at it like I’m grateful to be drafted to the Calgary Flames. 

“That’s something to smile about.”

“There’s lots from things that from the outside you think ‘This could be good, this could be bad,’ but you really don’t know,” Jarome, the Flames’ all-time leading scorer, added. “From my point of view with Joe, there is pressure and there would be pressure, but there has been all the way, when you come up in the same sport when your Dad has played pro.

“There’s going to be challenges, for sure, but hopefully way more great moments. The passion in Calgary, the new building, lots of excitement about the team growing and the talent they’re accumulating.”

Joe hadn’t yet turned five years of age when Jarome left Calgary in 2013, so the memories of dad as a Flame are fleeting. But Jarome recalls one special evening, when the whole family came back to the Scotiabank Saddledome. 

The night his No. 12 went to the rafters.

“We have some really nice pictures from my jersey retirement,” Jarome recalled. “The team had them (the three Iginla kids) come out on the ice, there. 

“It was really, really special, really cool.”

As much as the comparisons might exist, though, it’s clear that Joe is bent on forging his own path. Like dad, he says he loves to shoot the puck. 

But after a 15-goal, 31-point WHL season that saw him deal with both an injury and a mid-season trade from Edmonton to Vancouver, the younger Iginla has done a lot of personal development, too.

“It’s been eventful, for sure,” he said. “I think it’s taught me a lot about dealing with adversity, like that you’re not always going to get the luckiest bounce. But I think I learned so much about pushing through it, staying positive. I’d say that helped a tonne.

“I want to help Vancouver, I want us to do really well this year. When I went there (via trade), we didn’t make the playoffs, but I want to help lead them to hopefully the Memorial Cup, but we’ll start with the playoffs, for sure.”

Joe’s selection by the Flames completed a family trifecta, too. Tij is likely to turn pro in the Utah organization this fall, while the Iginla’s daughter, Jade, was just selected by PWHL Hamilton after captaining her squad at Brown University.

Carrying Jarome’s name brings a certain pressure and responsibility with it, a feeling that’s unique to each who experiences it. 

At this stage of his life, Jarome is quite happy to be dad. 

All while smiling on, as his kids carry on in the family business.

“She was super-nervous,” Jarome said of Jade. “Joe didn’t want to watch the Draft. They work hard, preparing for the drafts and they got themselves there. But it’s also way before that. 

“To be able to share going to the rink together, watching hockey on TV together, to see them enjoy the game as much as I did and share that with them, it’s been a lot of fun all the way.”