Iginla hired by Flames as special adviser to general manager

The 45-year-old was a teammate of Craig Conroy, who was promoted from assistant GM to GM on May 23. They helped Calgary reach the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, a seven-game loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Iginla will advise the Flames in all areas of hockey operations as assigned by Conroy. He will continue his coaching responsibilities with RINK Hockey Academy in Kelowna, British Columbia, and support the Flames in a shared time capacity for the rest of 2023.

“Dating as far back as our playing days with the Flames, Jarome and I have always talked about one day working together in the NHL,” Conroy said. “That day has finally come and I’m happy to welcome him back to Calgary. Jarome provides a creative approach and smart hockey mind to our team blended with a passion for the game, and a desire to win the Stanley Cup.

“Our relationship goes back 20 years and includes being opponents and teammates combined with a long-standing friendship. While our views on the game are similar, we often challenged each other on systems and playing style, always pushing each other to be better. I look forward to our team benefiting from his fierce competitiveness, career experiences and love of hockey.”

Iginla, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame with the Class of 2020, played his first 16 NHL seasons for the Flames, and had 1,300 points (625 goals, 675 assists) for Calgary, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings. His 1,219 games, 525 goals, and 1,095 points each rank first in Calgary/Atlanta Flames history and his 570 assists are second behind Al MacInnis (609).

“I am grateful to the Flames ownership and ‘Conny’ for this opportunity to transition my career back to the NHL,” Iginla said. “It’s a very well-earned acknowledgment for Conny as general manager and I am looking forward to supporting him and the team in a more engaged capacity.”

The forward won two gold medals in three Olympics for Canada and assisted on Sidney Crosby‘s Golden Goal in overtime against the United States at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He’s the first Black player to score 400, 500, and 600 goals and 1,000 points in the NHL, the first to win Olympic gold (2002) and the fourth inducted into the Hall of Fame (Grant Fuhr, Angela James, Willie O’Ree).

“While the public focus of my contributions is on my playing career, I believe my hockey experiences since my retirement will also benefit the organization,” Iginla said. “Conny and I have 20-year-old pending work to complete, and I can’t wait to get started.”

The Flames named Ryan Huska coach Monday to replace Darryl Sutter after going 38-27-17 and failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in three seasons, finishing two points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild card from the Western Conference. They have not gotten past the second round since 2004.

General manager Brad Treliving was fired April 17.

John LeClair and Patrick Sharp were each hired this week by the Philadelphia Flyers as special advisers to hockey operations.