To say that Utah prospect Tij Iginla didn’t have the season he was expecting would be an understatement. In Dec. 2024, Iginla had the first of two hip surgeries in a six-week span. Quite the physical toll on the 18-year-old forward who was months removed from being the Mammoth’s sixth-overall pick at the 2024 NHL Draft.
The road to recovery would be a long one for Iginla, but he started the process immediately by staggering the surgeries.
“I (had surgery on) the right one and then gave it about six or seven weeks just to build up a decent amount of strength and stability in it to support the left one,” Iginla shared. “(Had the surgery) six weeks apart. (A) lot of slow boring stuff at the beginning for those first few months.”
To keep himself busy, Iginla searched for ways to spend his days that would advance his skills despite the physical limitations.
“I was just keep trying to find ways, different ways to get better,” Iginla explained. “Whether it’s the mental side of the game, or just lots of different things. So, (I’m trying) to trust the process, and believe that it’ll all work out for the best.”
Iginla also used technology to watch hockey in a different way as he continued to study the sport.
“One of those was I started doing this VR stuff for hockey sense training,” Iginla also shared. “I’d watch a ton of hockey, watch a ton of Utah, watch my brother and sister a lot too (to) see how their seasons were going.”
At Utah’s Development Camp in early July, Iginla saw his hard work pay off. Not only was he an on-ice participant in a no-contact jersey, Iginla had his hardest skates since surgery and felt energized afterwards.
“I feel good,” Iginla told the media at Development Camp. “Just working back and sticking to the process, but it’s going well. I’m having fun.”
It’s not just the commitment to recovering from his injury that has shown with Iginla’s game. Director of Player Development Lee Stempniak saw Iginla take a step with his development despite playing only 21 games last season.
“He’s obsessed with hockey, and I say that in the best way possible,” Stempniak smiled. “He’s watching video, he’s asking questions, he wanted to know what type of systems we’re going to play next year in Utah so he can get a leg up so in training camp he’s already seen it and previewed it … the passion he has for the game is awesome.
“For us, it was channeling that (passion) into doing things,” Stempniak continued. “There were little projects for him and helping him because you felt his frustration in being injured and not being able to play … he used the mental side, the mental reps, and watching games and video and all that stuff. He made strides in his development this year even when he wasn’t playing.”
Iginla is close to a full recovery and full contact clearance, which will allow the forward to fully get back to work. He has made strides this season through his injury, but for Iginla he’s laser focused on achieving one particular goal come fall.
“Through the summer, keep getting stronger,” Iginla explained about his offseason plans. “More powerful, all of that stuff from (the) weight room side of things. And then keep honing my skills on the ice and just go into camp as ready as I can. Try to give myself the best chance that I can to make the team.”
