The Calgary Flames have hired franchise legend Jarome Iginla as a special adviser to new general manager Craig Conroy, the club announced Thursday afternoon.
Iginla, 45, played for the Flames from 1996 to 2013 and holds club records in nearly every major statistical category. He and Conroy both helped the Flames reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2004; Iginla’s No. 12 is one of three jersey numbers retired by the Flames.
“I am grateful to the Flames ownership and Conny for this opportunity to transition my career back to the NHL,” Iginla said on Thursday. “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.”
The Flames named Conroy the club’s eighth full-time general manager on May 23. He succeeded Brad Treliving, who occupied the role from 2014 to 2023 before leaving to become the new GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“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. “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.”
Iginla currently works as a coach at the RINK Hockey Academy in Kelowna, B.C., having coached his two sons, Tij and Joe, on their road toward the Western Hockey League. Jade Iginla, Jarome’s eldest child and only daughter, also attended the RINK Academy before enrolling at Brown University as a freshman for the 2022-23 academic year and hockey season.
The Dallas Stars originally selected Jarome Iginla in the first round (No. 11 overall) of the 1995 NHL Draft. Less than six months after drafting him, the Stars traded Iginla alongside forward Corey Millen to the Flames in exchange for star center Joe Nieuwendyk.
Although Nieuwendyk helped the Stars win the Stanley Cup in 1999, Iginla became the first player to score 500 goals and 1,000 points in a Flames sweater. His 525 goals, 1,095 points and 1,219 games with the Flames are all franchise records, and he remains second behind only Al MacInnis with 570 assists.
The Flames missed the playoffs in the 2022-23 season after posting a 38-27-17 record and collecting 93 points in 82 games. The club’s lackluster performance cost head coach Darryl Sutter his job — the Flames unveiled Ryan Huska as his replacement on Monday — and could result in major changes to the roster, particularly with seven significant players set to become unrestricted free agents in 2024.
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