Jarome Iginla just turned 40 years old on July 1st, the day free agency opened up in the NHL and he still remains unsigned. For 17 seasons Iginla gave all he had to the Flames organization taking them all the way to game seven of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals vs the Tampa Bay Lightning falling one game short of hockey's ultimate prize. Since he left Calgary Iginla has played five seasons with four different clubs in the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings. Iginla has played in 1554 games, scored 625 goals and produced 1,300 points. His 1.554 games are the most ever without having a Stanley Cup. Iginla has plenty of awards winning the Rocket Richard twice, Art Ross, Lester B Pearson, King Clancy and Mark Messier Leadership Award. He has also won five Gold Medals for Canada including two Olympic Gold Medals where in 2010 he set up Sidney Crosby for the Golden Goal. If anybody deserves a Stanley Cup who does not have one it is Jarome Iginla.
The future Hall of Famer and greatest Calgary Flames player of all time left the Flames because they were going into a rebuild and management wanted to give him a chance at the cup. Iginla failed to win with the Penguins and Bruins who were both considered favourites before signing in Colorado and failing to make the playoffs for his two-and-a-half seasons there. At the trade deadline he reunited with former head Coach Darryl Sutter in Los Angeles but they also failed to qualify for the playoffs. Iginla proved he can still play producing nine points in 18 games while playing in California. Possible teams Iginla could take a run with are the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, his hometown Edmonton Oilers or the one that makes the most sense, a return to the Calgary Flames.
The Flames look like they are going all in next season based on the moves Brad Treliving pulled off during the draft and free agency. Bringing in Travis Hamonic from the Islanders and resigning Michael Stone gives the Flames one of the best defensive cores in the NHL as they join Mark Giordano, Dougie Hamilton and TJ Brodie. After a disappointing season from Brian Elliott in net Treliving traded for Mike Smith and Eddie Lack to improve the goaltending situation. No big splashes were made at forward but they still have a good top six with depth in all positions. Iginla could fit on the third line with Kris Versteeg and Sam Bennett or on the fourth with Matt Stajan and another winger.
Even after Iginla's departure he is still the most popular Flames player ahead of star forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan as well as captain Mark Giordano. When he returned to Calgary he skated out after the game and did laps around the rink before turning back to the bench where Zdeno Chara and the rest of the Bruins made him skate around to the applause even longer. Even when Iginla scores against the Flames in the Saddledome the cheer is just as loud as if a Flames player scores so imagine how loud if it would be if the flaming C was on his jersey. He was cheered when he got first star while playing for the Kings picking up a Gordie Howe Hat Trick in his most recent outing in Calgary.
Now imagine if the Flames brought him back and they managed to make the playoffs, a place where Iginla has not played since his time in Boston. They score three series clinching goals making their way to the Stanley Cup Finals. Iginla and the whole sports world knows this will be his last shot at the cup giving the Flames extra motivation to win it for Iggy. They win one game, then another and another meaning one more game and he gets the cup. They win it the next game, Iginla receives the cup from Mark Giordano and lifts it over his head holding it for as long as he wants before skating off with it. What if the last time Iginla was on the ice was carrying the cup above his head in a Calgary Flames jersey?
Photo credit in order goes to http://bleacherreport.com, http://vancouversun.com/, http://www.tampabay.com/, http://calgaryherald.com/, http://bleacherreport.com.
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