Iginla fitting in with Rockets
Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor
It’s safe to say Tij Iginla has settled in nicely with the Kelowna Rockets.
Acquired from the Seattle Thunderbirds during the offseason, Kelowna Is familiar territory. He was born north in Lake Country and would return every summer whilst growing up.
“They’ve welcomed me in already so much and I love the guys and really like the coaches and management in the organization,” Iginla said. “I’m super pumped.”
The Rockets themselves have also been ‘pumped’ with the return thus far. In four games, Iginla has three points (two goals). The impressive start shouldn’t come as a surprise; he recorded four points in four preseason contests.
“There’s so much history in the organization,” he said. “I love Kelowna and I’m so excited to play here.”
And play he will. Iginla suited up 48 times for the Thunderbirds last season and was a member of their WHL championship winning squad but he played sparingly down the stretch; he appeared in just three postseason games and didn’t hit the ice at the 2023 Memorial Cup.
However, opportunity is plentiful in Kelowna where early on he’s lined up in the Rockets’ top six.
“You play hockey, you want to play,” Iginla said. “I wasn’t playing as much but it was really fun to go to the Memorial Cup and see the guys come together and win a championship.
“Here, however, it looks like there will be some really good opportunities for me so I’m pumped.”
In his first game back with Kelowna, Andrew Cristall is already meshing with teammate, Tij Iginla!@Kelowna_Rockets | @Capitals | #WHLOpeningWeek pic.twitter.com/bwfgv4rd2j
— The WHL (@TheWHL) October 1, 2023
It comes at a crucial time as well as Iginla will hope to have his name called at the 2024 NHL Draft. He can lean on teammate Andrew Cristall, who Iginla predicted “is going to be one of the most dominant players in the league this year,” for advice after he was a second round pick by the Capitals earlier this year.
But at the same time, he’ll have arguably the biggest resource imaginable by his side in father Jarome, a veteran of 1,554 NHL games who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.
“He’s amazing and is the single most important asset that I’ve had,” Iginla said of his dad. “All of his tips and tricks, he’s always sending me YouTube videos. He’s always studying the game. He still loves it so much.
“It’s a blessing to have him and be able to learn from him.”
No, the YouTube videos aren’t of Jarome; they’re typically instructional and focused on a single element of the game. But sometimes you can’t ignore the fact your father scored 625 NHL goals.
“Every now and then though we’ll look at some old highlights of his,” Tij said.
