It’s that time of the year for The Win Column’s NHL Draft Profiles! In the last two weeks, we’ve covered 13 prospects and are continuing today with our 14th-ranked prospect, Kelowna Rockets forward Tij Iginla. The 2024 NHL Draft will take place on June 28 and 29 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
Iginla is a name all too familiar to hockey fans, especially in Calgary. Tij will mark the second generation of Iginlas in the NHL, with his brother Joe not far behind. Tij began the season as a late first-round projection but has steadily climbed draft boards all year. After eight goals and 11 points in six playoff games, Iginla has some warranting him as a top-10 selection. Although he’s not an exact replica of his father, the similarities are apparent. With massive shoes to fill, will Iginla live up to the hype?
Who is Tij Iginla?
| Player | Position | Handedness | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tij Iginla | C/W | Left | 6’0″ | 185 lbs |
Iginla’s on-ice production
| Year | Draft Relative | League | Team | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | D-5 | QC Int Pee Wee | Boston Jr. Eagles | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 2019–20 | D-4 | 13U AAA | Boston Jr. Eagles 13U AAA | – | – | – | – |
| 2020–21 | D-3 | 14U AAA | Boston Jr. Eagles 14U AAA | – | – | – | – |
| 2021–22 | D-2 | CSSHL U18 | RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna U18 | 32 | 26 | 22 | 48 |
| WHL | Seattle Thunderbirds | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2022–23 | D-1 | WHL | Seattle Thunderbirds | 48 | 6 | 12 | 18 |
| WHC-17 | Canada Red U17 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 7 | ||
| 2023–24 | D+0 | WHL | Kelowna Rockets | 64 | 47 | 37 | 84 |
Although Iginla doesn’t have a ton of minor hockey league statistics, it’s evident he’s had his dad’s offensive touch since he started playing. Scoring at every level, he finished the year with 47 goals in 64 games. Iginla is largely regarded as having the one of the best shots in the draft class. Combine that with his vision off the puck, and you’ve already got an NHL-level goal scorer.
Minor hockey showing
Tij played the majority of his minor hockey league career in Boston for the Junior Eagles. In Peewee, Iginla and his team were invited to the Quebec International Peewee tournament. In three games, Iginla posted four goals and an assist against some of the best competition in the world at his age. Like many draft-eligible players in the last few years, the pandemic impacted Tij’s minor hockey league career.
Moving back to Canada in 2021–22, Iginla was able to play in 10 games for RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna’s U18 team, posting six goals and five assists before the WHL Bantam Draft. Iginla was selected sixth overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the first round of the WHL Bantam draft. He capped off his breakout 15-year-old season by scoring 26 goals and 48 total points in 32 games played. Iginla also played in three WHL games as a 15-year-old, posting one assist.
Early WHL years and IIHF
Last season, Iginla struggled to find his place on a stacked Seattle Thunderbirds team that went to the Memorial Cup. He played in 48 games—scoring only six times—and finished his rookie season with 18 points. Iginla also appeared in three of Seattle’s playoff games last season, tallying an assist before being scratched after the first round.
Iginla also represented Canada last season at the World Hockey Championships Under 17 tournament. In seven games, he posted two goals and five assists, winning a silver medal with his strong performance in the tournament.
Last summer, Seattle traded Iginla to the Kelowna Rockets for a first- and second-round pick and 2005-born prospect Grady Lenton. Tij and Kelowna were a match made in heaven. With a full season as a 16-year-old under his belt, Iginla entered this season as one of the top players on his team.
Draft season
Iginla proved to Kelowna that he was worth all the draft picks this season. He had a breakout season this year, unexpectedly climbing draft boards steadily in the second half. With 47 goals on the season, Iginla finished second overall amongst WHL draft-eligible players in goal scoring, trailing only Berkly Catton of the Spokane Chiefs, who posted an outstanding 54 on the year. With Iginla turning 18 in August, his late birthday makes him one of the youngest prospects in this year’s class. Playing the entirety of this season at 17, Tij led the WHL in U17 scoring. Furthermore, the 17-year-old showcased his 5v5 ability, tallying 36 of his 47 goals at even strength.
Iginla’s hunger for scoring is evident outside of his goal totals. He finished the season fifth in the entire WHL with 307 shots on goal. With a 15.3% shooting percentage, Tij has been converting at a high rate all season. Adding on 37 helpers, Tij finished the season strong, earning himself Kelowna Rockets team MVP honours.
The Rockets headed into the second round of the WHL playoffs last night against the Prince George Cougars. Tij is coming off a WHL Player of the Week award after lighting up the first round of the playoffs, scoring eight goals and three assists in six games and tallying a hat trick. Iginla isn’t afraid of the bright lights, and it’s benefitted his draft stock tremendously. If his hot play continues, I think it’s almost certain he goes within the top 10 picks of the first round.
Iginla’s strengths
Scoring ability (shot and hands)
I don’t know if there is a particular gene for scoring goals, but if there is, Jarome has certainly passed it down to his kids. Iginla’s shot is multifaceted and is among the most potent in the draft class. He has a strong, high-velocity wrist shot and can pick corners from a distance.
In addition to having his dad’s shooting power, Tij’s release is very compact and snappy while being very accurate. Although his wrist shot is long and sweeping, he does a great job protecting the puck through his shooting motion. He has a strong ability to disguise and change the angle of his release with toe drags and can seemingly get a shot on net in tight situations.
Although he’s a volume shooter, you won’t see Iginla take a ton of shots from the outside. Seemingly always in the slot, Iginla prioritizes scoring chances between the dots, which is a testament to his great hockey sense on and off the puck.
Even with the ability to score from distance, Tij utilizes his hands incredibly well to create playmaking and scoring opportunities. He has very quick stick handling and often uses his hands to create space to shoot. In addition to his shot-creating, he’s also been known to pull out a Michigan attempt or leave his defender face down on the ice.
One of the keys to Tij’s handling is his creative play along the boards. He is very good at protecting the puck and creating opportunities coming out of the corners, but he can sometimes get caught doing too much, resulting in turnovers.
Hockey sense and skating
Iginla’s shot is largely facilitated by his skating and hockey sense off the puck. Although his skating isn’t exceptional, he utilizes his edges very well and creates great transitional acceleration through his crossovers. He showed this by tearing through the neutral zone for a goal multiple times this season.
He’s shifty and has great lateral movement, changing direction quickly and smoothly. He uses his edges well with the puck on his stick, hesitating to throw off defenders and—in combination with his hands—changes direction swiftly to protect the puck. Despite his somewhat short and choppy stride, Iginla’s skating will translate to the NHL well, even if he can’t obtain that high-level top-end speed.
Iginla also possesses a strong hockey sense. He’s patient when he needs to be and aggressive when the opportunity presents itself. While Iginla is a goal scorer at heart, he has a strong ability to see the ice and move the puck well. His passing isn’t exceptional, but he uses his knowledge and vision to make up for it.
Whether it’s down low in tight or at the top of the circle, Tij utilizes his hands and edges to open up passing lanes; he tallied some pretty cross-ice assists this year. Off the puck, Iginla uses his edges and vision well to put himself in strong shooting positions.
Iginla’s areas of improvement
Physicality, defensive aggression, and top-end speed
One skill Tij didn’t inherit from his father was his tenacious physicality. Although Tij has a good compete level, you won’t see him throwing his weight around on the defensive side of the puck. He plays more of a slippery and quick style of game as opposed to Jarome’s true sniping power foward style. Keep in mind that Tij is just 6’0″ and 185 lbs, whereas his father played the majority of his career an inch taller and 20 lbs heavier. Tij utilizes his strength well despite being smaller, especially when maintaining the puck and fighting off checks along the boards.
With room to grow at only 17 years old, it’s realistic Iginla could literally fill his Hall of Fame father’s shoes. However, his playstyle is different from Jarome’s, which is something to keep in mind. Although he’s heard criticism over his compete level and physicality, I think it’s more a testament to the lofty comparison he already has so early in his career. Time will tell, but I think his physical game will grow as he continues to develop and won’t be an issue at the NHL level. He just won’t be leading the league in hits.
Iginla’s backchecking can be lacking at times as he plays some situations too passively. As a trailing defender, he can get lost in the shuffle watching the puck and doesn’t display the same level of hockey knowledge on the defensive side of the puck. Off the puck defensively, Iginla sometimes looks ready to turn up ice at the onset of a loose puck. Although his breakaway goal-scoring is something highly touted, the desire to get a jump on defenders can put him in vulnerable positions.
This could also be a testament to his lack of straight-away speed. In my opinion, developing better top-end speed at the NHL level could elevate his potential to be a “fringe star player” as opposed to a “top-six goal scorer.” His transitional game is strong, but he could be unstoppable off the rush if he could get some more speed working in a straight line.
Overall, improving his skating and physicality will be priorities for Iginla’s development, but this will not prevent him from being productive at the NHL level.
Iginla comparables
He is not comparable to Jarome Iginla. I cannot stress this point enough. Although Tij acquired some of his skillset from his father, they are completely different players with completely different styles of play.
Iginla could be compared to Chris Kreider in terms of his offensive physicality, vision, and puck-handling ability. His knowledge off the puck and scoring tools are more similar to that of Carter Verhaeghe. Overall, he’s an aggressive-minded offensive player with tremendous goal-scoring and puck-handling ability.
Fit with the Flames
The answer to this question has been discussed at length over the past six months, and I still don’t know what to think. On the one hand, I’d love to see another Iginla play in Flames silks, but if the Flames pick between six and eight, I think there will still be better players available (Catton and Lindstrom, predominantly).
Furthermore, I think the Flames need to draft anything but a left-handed winger this year, and that’s exactly what Tij will play at the NHL level. I shouldn’t say that; if he’s available at a slightly lower draft position, I’d gladly take him on as a projected NHL LW. What the Flames really need to do—drafting in the top 10—is to capitalize on one of the incredible defensive prospects in this year’s draft or select a forward with more NHL centre potential.
If the Flames pursue a trade to move into the 10 to 15 range, I’d love to see Iginla in the Flames organization. It comes with additional pressure—but I think all this hype the last month is valid—and Tij could end up being the steal of the 2024 first round.
Summary
Iginla is a true goal-scorer with tremendous skill in the offensive zone. His aggressive offensive playstyle is evident through his puck control, handling, and tenacity to pursue the middle of the ice. Capped off with an NHL-level shot that he can release from a multitude of different angles, Tij Iginla could be the best pure goal scorer in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Despite his lack of physicality in the defensive zone and sub-par top-end speed, Iginla is climbing draft boards for a reason. He can ignite his team with momentum-swinging plays and doesn’t shy away when performing in the clutch. Although he may not be a HOFer like Jarome, Tij is well on his way to a lengthy NHL career. He may never reach an elite status, but I think it’s very realistic we see Iginla develop into a perennial 30-goal scorer.
Risk: 1.5/5
Reward: 4.5/5
NHL comparison: Chris Kreider, Carter Verhaeghe
Projection: Top 6 Scoring Winger
Check out all of The Win Column’s individual player profiles of selected 2024 NHL Draft prospects:
Macklin Celebrini | Ivan Demidov | Artyom Levshunov | Sam Dickinson | Cayden Lindstrom | Berkly Catton | Cole Eiserman | Zeev Buium | Konsta Helenius | Zayne Parekh | Carter Yakemchuk | Anton Silayev | Tij Iginla | Adam Jiricek | Michael Brandsegg-Nygard | Liam Greentree | Igor Chernyshov | Trevor Connelly | Aron Kiviharju | Michael Hage | Ryder Ritchie | Sacha Boisvert | Nikita Artamonov
