USA TODAY Sports[/caption]There were some hockey insiders in Canada with a lot of egg on their face Wednesday as they reported that the Calgary Flames had traded winger and team captain Jarome Iginla to the Boston Bruins. However, a few hours later, it was confirmed that Iginla was indeed traded, but he was shipped off to the Pittsburgh Penguins instead.
Iginla and his teammates knew a trade was coming as he gave team management a list of four teams that he was willing to waive his no-trade clause for. This could actually be viewed as a player rental though, since Iginla will be a free agent this summer.
Iginla sat out his team’s game while the trade was being finalized, and it was the first time he’s missed a contest since 2007. He had an iron-man streak of 441 games going at the time of the deal.
The Penguins didn’t have to give up much to get the three-time All-Star, as they sent Calgary their first-round pick for the 2013 NHL Draft as well as a couple of unsigned college draft picks in Ben Hankowski and Kenneth Agostino. It was believed that Boston offered more for Iginla, but he preferred to go to Pittsburgh.
Jay Feaster, general manager of the Flames, said the reports about a trade with the Bruins obviously weren’t correct and he made sure he let Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero know of any offers he had for Iginla.
Reports said that Boston offered two prospects as well as a conditional first-round draft pick which was to be cashed in only if Iginla re-signed with Boston during the summer. However, the Penguins offered the draft pick without any conditions being attached to it.
Feaster claimed that he received three different offers for his captain, but the player indicated that he’d like to play with Penguins star Sidney Crosby, whom he played and won a gold medal with in 2010 at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Feaster thanked Iginla for everything he’s done for the Flames organization, and it was a tough decision to trade the pending free agent. The 25-year-old had nine goals and 13 assists for Calgary so far this season.
He has played his entire career with the Flames and leads the franchise in games played and goals. He leaves the club with a total of 525 goals and 570 assists for 1,095 points in 1,219 season games. Iginla added 49 points in 54 playoff games on 28 goals and 21 assists.
Iginla was the league’s top goal-scorer in 2002 and 2004 and its top point-getter in the 2001-02 season. He was originally chosen 11th overall by the Dallas Stars in the 1995 draft. The Stars then traded him to Calgary for Joe Nieuwendyk later that year.
The players Calgary received in the trade are currently playing in college. The 20-year-old Agostino was taken in round five of the 2010 draft by Pittsburgh. The forward has 15 goals and 22 assists for Yale so far this season.
The 22-year-old Hankowski is a right winger who was chosen in the third round in the 2009 draft. He has 62 goals and 49 assists for 111 points in four seasons with St. Cloud State.
