Jarome Iginla was one of the most prolific rightwingers of his era. Playing for 20 years on 5 different teams, he finished his career with 625 goals and 675 assists, giving him an even 1,300 points in all. He won many different individual awards including 2 Rocket Richard Trophies, an Art Ross Trophy, a Messier Trophy and 4 All-Star appearances. With such individual success, did Jarome Iginla ever win a Stanley Cup?
Jarome Iginla did not ever win a Stanley Cup in his 20-year career. Despite being close many times and making many playoff appearances, the Holy Grail evaded Iginla’s grasp.
Early Career Overview
The big career changer for Iginla happened quite early in his career, as he was drafted by the Dallas Stars and consequently traded to the Calgary Flames. The trade was initiated because center Joe Nieuwendyk was not happy in Calgary, and the Flames saw an opportunity to acquire a talented young winger in Iginla. Because of this, Calgary’s roster was not quite built for a Stanley Cup when Iginla joined the team.
While playing his best for a team that was very much rebuilding, Iginla was adamant on getting paid a certain amount of money for his achievements. While not unjustified, his large contract prevented Calgary from being able to acquire more pieces to build a good roster around Iginla.
During his time in Calgary, the team made the playoffs 6 times, with their deepest run coming in the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Flames made it to the Finals, riding Iginla’s playoff-high 13 goals. However, the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Flames in 7 games, ending what would be Iginla’s best shot at a Stanley Cup.
He played for the Flames for 15.5 years before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on an expiring contract in the 2012-2013 season.
Late Career Overview
Later in his career, Jarome was less concerned about his contract situation and bounced between a few different teams in the hopes of winning the Stanley Cup that had eluded him. His first year in Pittsburgh led to a semi-deep run, with the Penguins losing to the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The next year, he joined the Bruins in hopes of adding to their talented roster of players. Again, Iginla fell short with Boston losing in the Eastern Conference Finals.
His final year in the League was split between the Colorado Avalanche and the Las Vegas Golden Knights. The Knights missed the playoffs, and Iginla retired after the season.
Despite never having won a Stanley Cup, Iginla was one of the premiere forwards in the League during his 20 years. He could be considered one of the best players of his era to not successfully win a Cup, but that should not detract from his exceptional career and skill.
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Jamie is the founder of Hockey Response and he is the chief writer/ lead editor. Jamie has been playing hockey for over 20 years. He was the defenseman of the year in NL and has played Jr A level hockey. Jamie has coached several kids hockey camps and he was the assistant coach of the Western Kings.