Jarome Iginla is a true legend, but he was so much more than just a great hockey player. He was also a natural leader, and this story—about what he said during a Game 7 overtime intermission—says everything you need to know about him.
Iginla is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of his generation. He played over 1,500 games in the NHL for the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and LA Kings. Iginla remains the Flames’ all-time leader in goals, points, and games played. He scored 50 goals in a season twice and is one of only seven players in league history to score at least 30 goals in 11 consecutive seasons.
But Iginla was much more than just an incredibly talented hockey player. He was also praised for his contributions to society and always went the extra mile to brighten a fan’s day. Iginla was a born leader, constantly striving for perfection and improvement—not just for himself, but for his teams. And he demonstrated that during the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Jarome Iginla’s awesome locker room talk
The Flames hadn’t won a playoff series in five years, and in the first round, they faced the Vancouver Canucks. After tying the game late to force overtime in Game 7, the tension in the locker room was palpable. Martin Gelinas recalls this moment as his favorite memory of Jarome Iginla.
”We were in Vancouver, and they’d just tied the game to force overtime,” Gelinas told the Calgary Sun. “The dressing room was dead silent. And it takes a leader to say, ‘Hey, listen, we’re in a pretty good spot right now.’ That’s exactly what he did. The room was quiet, no one was talking, and Jarome stood up and said, ‘You know what? We’re in a pretty good position. If someone had told us we’d be in Game 7 right now, we would’ve taken it.’”
Gelinas said Iginla’s words completely changed the mood in the locker room. From that moment on, not only did they win the overtime, but they made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.
“From that point on, the mood changed,” Gelinas continued. “It went from being kind of deflated to being excited. In about 15-20 seconds, it changed the mood completely. We went out and ended up winning that game. For me, that’s the ultimate story.”
