When Tij Iginla’s junior hockey days come to an end, he’ll be taking his skillset south of the border.
To Utah.
At the 2024 NHL Entry Draft in Las Vegas on Friday, the Utah Hockey Club selected Iginla of the Kelowna Rockets at sixth overall.
The 17-year-old’s name was announced at 5 p.m., roughly 30 minutes after the San Jose Sharks did as expected and drafted North Vancouver’s Maklin Celebrini first overall.
Iginla, in his second WHL season, tallied 47 goals and 84 points in 64 regular-season games with the Kelowna Rockets.
The season prior, with Seattle, the six-foot forward from Lake Country had six goals and 18 points in 48 games as a 16-year-old rookie.
By being selected sixth overall, Iginla became the highest-drafted forward in Rockets history. He also became Kelowna’s second-highest drafted player ever, just one spot behind defenceman Luke Schenn, who was taken fifth overall in 2008.
And, notably, Tij set another record of sorts: Becoming his family’s highest-drafted player.
His father, NHL legend Jarome Iginla, was taken 11th overall by the Dallas Stars in 1995.
“Iginla’s selection at No. 6 also marks the sixth time in NHL history that a father-son duo has been drafted within the top 15,” said the Canadian Hockey League.
Utah is now the home of the former Arizona Coyotes franchise. The team, which will be located in Salt Lake City, recently held a contest for a new name.
The top six names are Blizzard, Hockey Club, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom, and Yeti. The winning name will be released in the coming months.
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