Black History - Black Hockey Players #1 - Jarome Iginla

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Last time. Question: "Are there any black hockey players?" Answer: Yes, and I have been counting down ten of them. And although I'm doing it in no particular order, I had to save a guy that played for the Colorado Avalanche, even if for only three seasons, for last. Not to mention, nobody else could top this list. We are at #1: Jarome Iginla. Born in Edmonton, Canada, Jarome Iginla played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League, 16 of which as a member of the Calgary Flames. Iginla also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Avalanche, the Boston Bruins, and the Los Angeles Kings. He was the prototypical NHL power forward: big, strong, and physically intimidating. Not blessed with exceptional speed, Iginla was a master at using his physicality to create room for himself to maneuver. And if an opponent attempted to intimidate him, Iginla was more than willing to drop the gloves (and whoop your ass!) At the same time, the man's puck handling skill was exceptional, and to say that he was a gifted goal scorer is an understatement. Oh lordy lordy lordy, could Iginla score goals! Jarome Iginla played in 1554 NHL regular season games, and 81 in the post-season. He scored 625 regular season goals (37 in the playoffs,) dished out 675 assists (31 post-season,) and racked up 1040 penalty minutes (98 in the playoffs.) And we need a separate paragraph for the rest. During his career, Iginla won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy (awarded to that season's leading goal scorer,) the Art Ross Trophy (leading point scorer - goals and assists combined,) the Lester B. Pearson Award (Most Valuable Player as voted on by the players,) the King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Leadership and humanitarian contributions,) the NHL Foundation Player Award (commitment, perseverance, and teamwork in the community: while with the Flames, Iginla donated $2000 to the Kidsport children's charity every time he scored a goal,) and the Mark Messier Leadership Award (as chosen by Messier himself.) Iginla was a six-time NHL All-Star, and is the Flames all-time leader in goals scored, points, games played, and 2nd in assists. His #12 hangs in the rafters of the home of the Flames, the Saddledome. As a member of Team Canada, Iginla won two Olympic Gold Medals, one World Championship Gold Medal, one World Cup Gold Medal, and one World Junior Championship Gold Medal. Because he retired in 2017, Iginla is not yet eligible, but the Hall of Fame awaits. First ballot, guaranteed. Legend. (Info verified by Wikipedia)