Last spring, 2008-born right-shot forward Joe Iginla was selected in the first round by the Oil Kings in the WHL Bantam Draft.
Yes, Joe Iginla is the son of NHL icon and Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, and this weekend, he made history in the WHL.
Typically, 15-year-olds aren’t a regular occurrence in the WHL. In fact, they are only allowed to play a few games until their primary team’s season is over.
However, due to injuries, Joe Iginla was called up from the RINK Hockey Academy in Kelowna, where his dad coaches him.
Joe’s older brother, Tij, also played in the WHL, and it undoubtedly seems like Jarome Iginla’s incredible talent runs in the family.
On Friday, the older son Tij had a goal and two assists in Kelowna Rockets’ 4-3 win over the Prince Albert Raiders. But it was the younger son, Joe, who stole the headlines.
Joe has 25 points in 19 games with the RINK Hockey Academy this season. And at just 15, he didn’t need long to make an impact in the WHL.
Iginla recorded an assist and three shots as the Oil Kings lost 6-3 to the Swift Current Broncos, but it was still a night to remember for the Iginla family.
And it got even more special on Sunday. The Oil Kings trailed 2-1 against the Regina Pats, Connor Bedard’s former team, when Iginla joined a breakaway and scored the equalizer.
It was his first-ever WHL goal, and at just 15, his future looks bright, to say the least. Iginla’s breakthrough goal quickly went viral, and everyone loves it when the children of former NHL superstars excel in hockey.
In the NHL right now, we have players like Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, Zach Parise, and Max Domi, all of whom have dads who dominated the NHL.
Perhaps we’ll have two Iginlas in the NHL in a couple of years. Next summer, Jarome’s oldest son is eligible for the NHL draft.
