A bit of Western Hockey League history was made on Friday night. Joe Iginla, the 15-year-old, younger son of Calgary Flames legend (and special assistant to the general manager) Jarome Iginla, made his WHL debut for the Edmonton Oil Kings.
The youngest Iginla had an assist in a 6-3 Oil Kings loss to the Swift Current Broncos.
All smiles from Joe Iginla after his first game! pic.twitter.com/vxFZgsWcft
— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) December 16, 2023
A 2008-born right-shot forward, Iginla was a first-round selection by the Oil Kings in last spring’s WHL Bantam Draft. Typically 15-year-olds aren’t permitted to play in the WHL, but Iginla was allowed to be summoned from the RINK Hockey Academy in Kelowna – where his dad coaches him – because of a slew of injuries and absences suffered by the Oil Kings. (15-year-olds are limited to playing only five games until their primary team’s season is over, so Joe likely won’t be around for too long.)
The Oil Kings were missing D Rhys Pederson (injury), F Skylar Bruce (injury), F Aidan Litke (injury), D Reid Larson (injury), F Rilen Kovacevic (injury), F Adam Jecho (injury), D Vojtech Port (World Juniors), D Ethan MacKenzie (injury) and F Nathan Pilling (injury). (If Pilling’s name sounds familiar, he was at Flames camp.) With so many players unavailable, Iginla was able to make his debut. He was named the game’s second star.
Couple of young guns sliding in the lineup tonight 👀
Not dressed:
#4 Pederson (inj)
#11 Bruce (inj)
#37 Larson (inj)
#39 Kovacevic (inj)
#43 Jecho (inj)
#44 Port (IIHF World Juniors)
#47 MacKenzie (inj)
#55 Pilling (inj) pic.twitter.com/B0dFd4X6n8
— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) December 16, 2023
At the same time, older brother Tij Iginla had a good game in Saskatchewan as his Kelowna Rockets beat the Prince Albert Raiders by a 4-3 score. Iginla had a goal and two assists, with his goal serving as the game-winner.
It goes without saying, but the first time that Jarome’s two sons both played WHL games on the same night ended up alsox being the first time they both registered points on the same night. Scheduling was the only thing that kept this being a hat-trick of Iginla siblings playing, as Tij and Joe’s older sister Jade – a sophomore at Brown University – played her last games before the December holiday break last weekend.
Joe has 25 points in 19 games with the RINK Hockey Academy this season (and one point in one WHL game). He’ll be a full-time WHLer next season. Tij has 40 points in 31 games with Kelowna this season. He’s eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft this coming June. Jade has 11 points in 14 games with Brown University.
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