With the 65th pick in the third round of the 2026 NHL Draft, the Calgary Flames selected Joe Iginla out of the WHL.
Who is Joe Iginla?
| Position | Handedness | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Right | 178 cm / 5’10” | 77 kg / 170 lbs |
Son of former Flames legend Jarome Iginla, Joe was born in Lake Country, British Columbia. He played minor hockey in BC before joining the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL. This season, Iginla split his time between the Oil Kings and Vancouver Giants. It’s quite the feel-good story knowing Iginla will join the franchise his father was the captain of for almost a decade.
Iginla’s on-ice production
| Year | Draft Relative | League | Team | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | D-1 | WHL | Edmonton Oil Kings | 61 | 9 | 7 | 16 |
| 2025-26 | D+0 | WHL | Edmonton Oil Kings/Vanco-uver Giants | 59 | 15 | 16 | 31 |
Iginla’s production nearly doubled this season. It’s an encouraging sign for the player taking the next step when it comes to offence. However, his numbers certainly aren’t going to jump out at you, as Iginla is likely going to be a player who will need to embrace the challenges associated with the development process.
Iginla’s strengths
Iginla’s best attribute is his offensive creativity. He sees the ice extremely well and consistently creates opportunities for teammates through his vision and puck distribution. He processes plays quickly, identifies passing lanes before they open, and can execute difficult passes through traffic. His ability to facilitate offence allows him to elevate the players around him rather than simply benefit from them.
Perhaps the biggest similarity between Joe and his father is his competitiveness. He plays with energy, stays engaged away from the puck, and competes hard for possession despite not being an overly physical player. Coaches value players who consistently work to recover pucks and remain involved in all three zones, and Iginla has shown those habits throughout his development. His work ethic also suggests there is still room for growth as he continues to add strength and refine his game.
Iginla’s areas of improvement
Iginla is a good skater, but he is not currently known for having elite NHL-level acceleration or breakaway speed. His hockey sense often allows him to arrive in the right areas before opponents, but as the game gets faster at higher levels, he’ll need more separation ability to consistently create offence. Improving his first few strides and overall explosiveness would make him a more dangerous transition player and allow him to attack defenders with greater confidence. Increased speed would also help him create more opportunities off the rush rather than relying primarily on his vision and puck skills.
Another area for development is physical strength. While Iginla competes hard and does not shy away from traffic, he is still developing physically and can be pushed off the puck by stronger opponents. As he progresses through junior hockey and eventually college or professional hockey, he will face bigger, heavier, and more physically mature defenders on a nightly basis. Adding strength will help him protect pucks more effectively, win a greater percentage of board battles, and become more dangerous around the net. It should also improve his ability to maintain possession under pressure and extend offensive-zone shifts.
Iginla’s next steps
Iginla’s next step is continuing his development at the NCAA level with the University of Denver. DU has a strong track record of developing NHL players, and the environment should provide Iginla with an opportunity to refine his game against older, stronger, and more structured competition.
After a productive freshman season, the focus moving forward will be on becoming a more complete and physically mature player. His hockey sense, playmaking ability, and offensive creativity already project well, but continuing to add strength and improve his skating will be crucial. Denver’s development program should allow him to play significant minutes while gradually preparing him for the professional game.
Projection with the Flames
Despite Iginla’s lineage, he’s not a lock for the NHL. To put it bluntly, he was drafted way earlier than many scouts had him going (around the 5-7th round). He’ll have to put in a lot of work to stand out amongst the Flames’ prospect pool, which has an abundance of wingers already. With that being said, crazier things have happened, and Iginla does have the skill to one day become an NHLer. The question is whether he differentiates himself enough to stand out to get a shot with the pros.
