Iginla hired by Flames as special adviser to general manager

When Craig Conroy was named general manager of the Calgary Flames on May 23, it seemed only a matter of time before his longtime wingman Jarome Iginla was brought on board.

Iginla and Conroy have a long history together as teammates with the Flames and got within one win of the Stanley Cup in 2004, losing in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The two were reunited Thursday when the Flames announced Iginla was hired as a special adviser to Conroy, the same position the current general manager took to start his executive career after retiring as a player in 2011.

"Dating as far back as our playing days with the Flames, Jarome and I have always talked about one day working together in the NHL," Conroy said in a news release. "That day has finally come and I'm happy to welcome him back to Calgary. Jarome provides a creative approach and smart hockey mind to our team, blended with a passion for the game, and a desire to win the Stanley Cup."

The 45-year-old played the first 16 of his 20 NHL seasons for the Flames and had 1,300 points (625 goals, 675 assists) for Calgary, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings. His 1,219 games, 525 goals, and 1,095 points each rank first in Calgary/Atlanta Flames history, and his 570 assists are second behind Al MacInnis (609).

Iginla was named Flames captain in 2003, when Conroy turned over the responsibility to him. Iginla scored at least 30 goals for Calgary 11 times and 40 goals four times, surpassing the 50-goal mark twice.

In 2002, Iginla won the Lester B. Pearson Award (now the Ted Lindsay Award), awarded to the most outstanding player as selected by fellow members of the NHL Players' Association; the Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals (52); and the Art Ross Trophy for leading scorer (96 points). He led the NHL in goals (41) again in 2004 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.

Selected by the Dallas Stars with the No. 11 pick of the 1995 NHL Draft, he was traded to Calgary on Dec. 19, 1995, in a deal involving forward Joe Nieuwendyk.

The forward won two gold medals in three Olympics for Canada and assisted on Sidney Crosby's Golden Goal in overtime against the United States at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He's the first Black player to score 400, 500, and 600 goals and 1,000 points in the NHL, the first to win Olympic gold (2002) and the fourth inducted into the Hall of Fame (Grant Fuhr, Angela James, Willie O'Ree).

"Our relationship goes back 20 years and includes being opponents and teammates, combined with a long-standing friendship," Conroy said. "While our views on the game are similar, we often challenged each other on systems and playing style, always pushing each other to be better. I look forward to our team benefiting from his fierce competitiveness, career experiences and love of hockey."

Iginla lives in Kelowna, British Columbia, and coaches his son, Joe, at the RINK Hockey Academy. He will continue to coach Joe next season, sharing his time between the Academy and Flames.

Joe, 14, was selected by Edmonton of the Western Hockey League with the No. 12 pick in the 2023 Prospects Draft in May and will be eligible to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League fulltime in 2024-25.

Iginla's oldest son, Tij, 16, was selected by Seattle with the No. 9 pick of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft and will play in the WHL this season.

"I am grateful to the Flames ownership and 'Conny' for this opportunity to transition my career back to the NHL," Iginla said in a news release. "It's a very well-earned acknowledgment for Conny as general manager and I am looking forward to supporting him and the team in a more engaged capacity."

Calgary missed the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs this season after finishing fifth in the Pacific Division (38-27-17), two points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild card from the Western Conference. They have not gotten past the second round since 2004.

On April 17, it was announced Brad Treliving would not be returning as Flames general manager after nine years. On May 1, coach Darryl Sutter was fired.

Conroy was promoted to general manager from his assistant GM role May 23 and hired Ryan Huska as coach Monday.

Iginla is looking to help lead Calgary back into the playoffs in a very competitive division.

"While the public focus of my contributions is on my playing career, I believe my hockey experiences since my retirement will also benefit the organization," Iginla said. "Conny and I have 20-year-old pending work to complete (to win the Stanley Cup) and I can't wait to get started."