On Dec. 19, 1995, the Flames traded Joe Nieuwendyk to the Dallas Stars for Jarome Iginla. It was a trade that worked out for both teams in hindsight, as Nieuwendyk went on to play parts of seven seasons with the Stars, scoring 178 goals and 340 points in 442 games. Having already won the Stanley Cup with the Flames in 1989, the forward was a key part of the Stars’ Stanley Cup victory in 1999, and he’d go on to win another Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003.

Trading away a Hall of Famer tends not to work well, but it did for the Flames. Iginla made his National Hockey League debut in the 1996 playoffs, and became a regular in the league the following season. He made his presence known early, scoring 21 goals and 50 points in 82 games during the 1996-97 season, finishing second in Calder Trophy voting.

Like many young players, Iginla had a sophomore slump, but scored 28 and 29 goals in his next two seasons. He hit the 30-goal mark for the first time in 2000-01, but truly broke out in 2001-02. That was the first season Iginla was an All-Star, as he scored a league-leading 52 goals and 96 points, winning the Rocket Richard, Art Ross, and finishing second in Hart Trophy voting.

His production dipped the following season, scoring just 35 goals and 67 points, but he won his second Rocket Richard in 2003-04, scoring 41 goals and 73 points in 81 games. Iginla also led the league in goals during the post-season, scoring 13 of them for 22 points in 26 games, as the Flames sadly fell in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The lockout took away his aged-27 season, but once play resumed, he hit the 30-goal mark in each of the next six seasons as a Flame. That included a second 50-goal season in 2007-08, where he finished second in Hart voting and picked up a career-high 98 points.

Due to no fault of his own, Iginla’s streak of 30-goal seasons came to an end in 2012-13 due to a second lockout, but he managed to score 14 goals and 33 points in 44 games. Only nine of those goals came with the Flames, as he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of the 2013 trade deadline.

Sadly, the Penguins were swept at the hands of the Boston Bruins in the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals, the last real shot Iginla would get. The following off-season, Iginla joined the Bruins, scoring 30 goals and 61 points, the final time he’d hit the 30-goal mark. He came close to doing so in his first season with the Colorado Avalanche the following year, scoring 29 goals and 59 points. Iginla’s final two seasons in the NHL saw him score 36 goals and 74 points in 162 games.

After retiring, Iginla was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020, and his number 12 was retired the year before. This doesn’t even mention his international success, picking up the assist on the Golden Goal during the 2010 Winter Olympics on home soil.

It’s shocking to think about, but the Flames got two Hall of Famers out of one trade. Back when they were in Atlanta, they selected Kent Nilsson 64th overall in the 1976 draft. Had Nilsson played more than 553 NHL games, there’s a strong chance he’d also be in the Hall of Fame as he scored 264 goals and 686 points.

In June of 1985, Nilsson was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for two picks, one used to select Nieuwendyk. Unfortunately, the opposite end of this trade tree didn’t work out as well for the Flames. They acquired Kenny Agostino, Ben Hanowski, and a 2013 first-round pick from the Penguins for Iginla.

Hanowski played just 16 NHL games before departing for Europe, while Agostino played 86 games, only 10 of which came with the Flames. That first was used to select Morgan Klimchuk, who played just one NHL game before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Andrew Nielsen. Like the others, Nielsen didn’t make much of an impact for the Flames, in fact, he never suited up for an NHL game.

Still, what a great run of asset management from the Flames and this trade deserves to be celebrated at any opportunity.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS

Take $20 off your first Vivid Seats order of $200+ using promo code FLAMESNATION (new customers only, $200 USD minimum before taxes & fees)

Editorials

Recent articles from Ryley Delaney

The Flames acquired Jarome Iginla 30 years ago this week

What’s Going On In the Pacific Division: Five teams in the division occupy a playoff spot

Throwback Thursday: Looking at the Calle Järnkrok trade with the Kraken

PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS

Recent articles from Ryley Delaney

Breaking News