Congrats Iggy. You get to retire a loser.

[30ranfordfan]

Little tough in cheek with the title, yes. Iginla used to be a really good (even great) player.

He asked for his "Ray Bourque" moment a few years back... pulled some weirdo "I know I said Boston was okay, but I really wanted Pittsburgh" stuff at that deadline. Then after the Bruins bounce the Penguins in those same playoffs, he leaves Pittsburgh after season and ends up in Boston. Hunh??

Now, if he was in search of a Stanley Cup, I guess you can't really fault him for either of those moves..... but then the next off season:

You sign with the COLORADO AVALANCHE?!?!?!

He went to a bottom feeder team, and he knew it. He didn't go to the Avs to win, he went there for money. Can I blame a guy for wanting 18 million bucks? Of course not. But to go to the highest bidder, when not even 18 months earlier you wanted to leave Calgary so you could win.... ending up on a last place team is what you deserved.

Then this season, the twilight of his career, he requests a trade to the Kings? I can only assume the none of WSH, PIT, or CHI actually wanted him. Why in the world would you ask to go to a "contender" that isn't even in a playoff spot?

[atruong317]

If I could down vote a post, I would down vote this post.

Even if you're not a Flames fan, he was instrumental in helping Canada win Gold in 2010.

He's is one of the good guys of the game, and a great ambassador to the sport.

[fuzzai]

If I could down vote a post, I would down vote this post.

Even if you're not a Flames fan, he was instrumental in helping Canada win Gold in 2010.

He's is one of the good guys of the game, and a great ambassador to the sport.

Ranford fan never said anything about him not helping Canada. He just pointed out the obvious stupidity of his last few years ;)

I love iggy, used to collect him when he was a Flame. With these "franchise" players trying to pull a Bourque, when it goes bad, and for iggy it went from bad to worse, its just what it is.

Feel for the guy? Nah, he made millions. Did he deserve a cup? Yup, sure did. Many players don't get to hoist it though.

[atruong317]

So you're telling me you guys are ok with these type of posts?

I still think they are in poor form, and if that is what you want, I could do the same for a lot of the great players that never won a cup.

[scott86]

Little tough in cheek with the title, yes. Iginla used to be a really good (even great) player.

He asked for his "Ray Bourque" moment a few years back... pulled some weirdo "I know I said Boston was okay, but I really wanted Pittsburgh" stuff at that deadline. Then after the Bruins bounce the Penguins in those same playoffs, he leaves Pittsburgh after season and ends up in Boston. Hunh??

Now, if he was in search of a Stanley Cup, I guess you can't really fault him for either of those moves..... but then the next off season:

You sign with the COLORADO AVALANCHE?!?!?!

He went to a bottom feeder team, and he knew it. He didn't go to the Avs to win, he went there for money. Can I blame a guy for wanting 18 million bucks? Of course not. But to go to the highest bidder, when not even 18 months earlier you wanted to leave Calgary so you could win.... ending up on a last place team is what you deserved.

Then this season, the twilight of his career, he requests a trade to the Kings? I can only assume the none of WSH, PIT, or CHI actually wanted him. Why in the world would you ask to go to a "contender" that isn't even in a playoff spot?

This is a bit disingenuous. He signed with Colorado after a season in which they made the playoffs and their coach won the Jack Adams. Far from a bottom feeder. Some regression may have been expected, but I don't think many of us would have expected them to become this bad. Not signing Stastny and trading O'Reilly really hurt them.

[cardboardkid]

The title is absolutely in bad taste! Just My 2 cents for what it's worth!

[YoungGuns1988]

Iggy is no loser in my books. he may not have won a cup but he was a class player and person his entire career, loyal to the Flames in an era when they really weren't good. Stood up for his teammates, often fighting tough guys on other teams, could score, was a leader, was great for Canada. Yeah, he's a winner.

[RGM81]

Salty. I like it.

I've got nothing but respect for Iginla. Great guy, even at this late stage in his career he still stands up for his teammates, viz. going after Emelin after he hip-checked a dude on Iggy's Avalanche team late in the third period of a blowout game.

One of the best players ever to not win a Cup (robbed in 2004!), the quest for that got ever-longer after leaving Calgary. And yeah, now it ends with him on a team that failed to make the playoffs.

[30ranfordfan]

Yup... I picked a title that I figured would get a reaction :)

I want to make sure I'm clear on a few things:

1. I think Jarome Iginla was an excellent player. Likely the greatest Flame of all time, he'll be in the HOF as soon as he's eligible. I wouldn't call him one of the 50 greatest players of all time, but he's somewhere in the top 100. I mean all of that as a compliment.
2. I think players are smart to go for the big bucks. If the Avs were offering 18 million for 3 years, and nobody else offered close (I bet they didn't) I think he did the smart thing, and took it.
3. I have nothing but respect for a guy who says "you know what, I want to go out on top" and ask for a trade late in his career, to give himself at shot at winning, when the team he's on have none. It rarely works, but you gotta try.
4. I don't actually believe that retiring sans-Championship makes you a loser. Many of the best players (in all sports) retire without one. They're hard to win, and a single player.... in a team sport (other than basketball) can't do it alone, no matter how good they are.



All that being said, Iginla (IMO) tried to have his cake, and eat it too. He played on two contenders, where he didn't get lucky enough to go all the way.... and then instead of staying on a 1 year deal, for cheap, and going somewhere that he'd have a real shot - he picked the Avs. Yeah, my labeling them a bottom feeder is an exaggeration in that they were not one when he went there - but they were a team that everyone felt over achieved, was due to regress, and were no better than a 4th place team in their own division (behind STL, CHI, MIN). That they fell all the way to the bottom the next year, yes... that was a surprise, but that they have no contended in the 3 years Iginla has been there should surprise nobody.

Iginla could have done the Shane Doan thing, and just stayed put. He decided not to do that, and went chasing a cup. His last two choices never made the playoffs - and in fact since he decided that money, rather than winning, was his priority.... he hasn't played in a playoff game.

After toiling in Colorado the last bunch of years - you'd think he'd have asked to go to an actual contender this year (my list of "actual contenders" includes SJ, CHI, MIN, WSH, PIT, MON, and that's about it. You could argue for a few others, sure, but at the deadline LA was not one of them). Maybe those teams didn't want him, maybe they couldn't make a trade work. I don't know. I'm not the GMs. Maybe LA was the best team that would (could) take on his salary, but I doubt it.

I think he had a great career, but I don't feel bad in the least having a little fun at the expense of a guy who prioritized winning over loyalty, and then money over winning.

[scott86]

I think the biggest reason he was willing to be moved to LA was his history with Sutter. If he can't win a Cup, at least he can go out playing for a coach he worked with for years and clearly respects.