Tij Iginla spent some of his most formative years watching his dad, Jarome Iginla, play in the NHL. The journey that took Jarome across the continent also took his family, including Tij, his brother Joe and his sister Jade. Tij, now an NHL prospect eligible for the 2024 draft, is ready to forge his own path, while acknowledging the guiding footsteps of his father along the way.
“This was my dream, to get there [the NHL] as well,” he said. “It always felt so far away. 2024, you know, it seemed so far away, but now it’s coming pretty quick.”
Tij was born in Lake Country, British Columbia in 2006, while his dad was captaining the Calgary Flames during a storied career there. He lived in Calgary until he was six years old before moving to Boston the following year. Then, it was off to Colorado for three years. Next: Napa Valley. Then, back to Boston, as his father retired. before eventually going back to western Canada.
Tij would play for the Boston Jr. Eagles program, then spent a season at RINK Hockey Academy in Kelowna before earning a spot in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds at just 16 years old. Iginla had 18 points in 48 games. Seattle won the WHL championship, but Iginla didn’t play at all in the postseason.
After just one full season in Seattle, Iginla was shipped to the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets in exchange for Grady Lenton, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick. To say he had a breakout season in Kelowna would be a massive understatement; his offense positively exploded, and he put up 84 points in 64 games. He led the Rockets with 47 goals and was fourth in assists (37).
“Our head coach, Kris Mallette, the whole staff, they welcomed me right from my first day,” he said. “They’re really good coaches. They’ve got great minds for the game, great ideas for me and the team. But also, they’re great people as well, and I can just tell how much they care about me and the other guys as individuals. They want us to succeed.”
Iginla spent most of this season on the wing, but he’s looking forward to getting back to playing center next season. He noted that it’s good to have the versatility to play both, but that a lot of the best players in the game – including Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby – are centers.
Tij is quick to acknowledge the blessing that comes with being part of a family that’s so passionate about the game.
Joe Iginla, Tij’s younger brother, turns 16 later this summer and is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft. He had 49 points in 29 games for the RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna U18 team this past season and made his WHL debut with the Edmonton Oil Kings, averaging a point-per-game in five matches.
Their sister, Jade Iginla, just finished her second season playing NCAA Division I hockey at Brown. The 19-year-old has put up 50 points in 61 games with the Bears. She still has a few years of college left, but it isn’t out of the realm of possibility to think she could shoot for a spot in the PWHL someday.
“I’ve had a lot of advantages that other kids haven’t,” he said. “I think I’ve been very blessed to have my dad and be in a family that’s so into hockey, and to have my siblings as well, they’re really into it, too. We have a good environment, boosting each other, when I see my brother or sister shooting pucks in the garage… I think that’s been good for me.”
“From an outside perspective, it might seem like there’s more pressure, more expectations, things like that. But I think for me, my motivation comes from within. I want to succeed. This is what I want to do, my dream, and I’m going to try and block out the outside,” he added.
Iginla met with about 20 teams during the recent NHL Scouting Combine here in Buffalo. One of the more interesting questions is the infamous Montreal ask, of what animal you consider yourself to be. Iginla’s answer was certainly unique, to say the least.
“They said, you can’t say a lion or a dog, because everyone says that,” he said. “On the spot, I was like, I’m a Pegasus, which is a mythical creature. It’s a horse with wings. They were like, explain it. It’s hard to explain, but I said, it’s a horse… it’s sociable and friendly with other horses, but then when it’s time to ascend, I’ve got the wings to fly out on the spot.”
Will he be flying to Buffalo after the 2024 NHL Draft?
(Photo: Steve Dunsmoor / Kelowna Rockets)