BUFFALO | The Canadian showed his interest in Tij Iginla by meeting him in Buffalo before inviting him to dinner on Thursday night. We don’t know everything that was said at those meetings, but we do know that the 17-year-old forward assured the Habs organization that he compared himself to… Pegasus!

NHL teams are increasingly leaving the NHL evaluation camp with the impression that they have had no real access to the true personality of the players they have met, as the latter are increasingly being groomed by their agents for any questions that arise.

Throughout the week, NHL teams mentioned in interviews that the Canadiens are one of the most destabilizing teams. Their question of which animal players compare themselves to has become popular and well-known. Therefore, when the members of the CH Iginla explained that he could not answer with the obvious “dog” or “lion”, the attacker thought of Pegasus, that winged horse from Greek mythology.

“As for the horse, I replied that I am a sociable, friendly guy who can spend time with the other horses, but when it is time to rise above the fray, I have wings to ‘fly away,'” said Jarome Iginla’s son.

A dizzying climb

Even though he gave that answer without much thought, we have to admit that it reflects quite well what Iginla has accomplished over the past year. Last year, at age 16, he played a supporting role for Memorial Cup finalist Seattle Thunderbirds, occasionally missing out and scoring just 18 points in 48 games.

During the summer season he moved to the Kelowna Rockets, last season he achieved tremendous success in 64 regular season games and scored nine goals and 15 points in eleven playoff games.

“At 16, it was the first time in my life that I was left out. I experienced adversity and tried to use it as motivation.”

And the season had allowed him to reach astronomical heights on various lists. At the beginning of the season, few people saw him as a first-round prospect and now he is considered one of the top five or ten prospects for the next draft.

His father’s contribution

Obviously, Iginla grew up in an environment where hockey was predominant, and his father’s career forced him to travel many times.

Born in Calgary, where his father had his best seasons, he followed him to Boston, then to Colorado before returning to the Boston area after Jarome’s retirement.

When he and his brother Joe decided to follow their father’s example and join the Western Junior League (WHL), the family moved to Kelowna to live full-time in the former summer residence.

NHL hockey has always been a part of his daily life.

“[Au Colorado] I remember my dad inviting Nathan MacKinnon to Thanksgiving dinner. My dad was at the end of his career and took him under his wing a little bit. It was really cool to be around a guy like that. I think I was sitting at the kids’ table, but still!” he mentioned, adding that the moment he met Sidney Crosby in the Penguins’ locker room was also a memorable moment.

A midfielder?

Additionally, after playing on the wing last season in Kelowna, Iginla intends to play center next season. Additionally, he has played that position for most of his life, alternating between center and wing in Seattle at age 16 before switching completely to the left side last season.

“I want to play center because that’s where I played as a kid. It’s good to be able to do both. A lot of the best players in the league, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Sidney Crosby, play center. I think if you can play that position effectively, you give yourself a chance to make an impact in this league.”

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