SALT LAKE CITY – After becoming the first draft selection in franchise history this past summer, 2024 No. 6 overall pick Tij Iginla will make his first ever preseason debut with the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche.
It’s happening Utah Hockey Club fans!
Tij Iginla will make his preseason debut tonight against the Avalanche!#UtahHockeyClub #NHL pic.twitter.com/zPcLPZ9va9
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 29, 2024
While it’s been an unusual few weeks for Iginla during his first NHL training camp, he will finally put on Utah’s sweater for the first time against the Colorado Avalanche in a preseason game in Denver, CO.
Due to a lower-body injury, the talented prospect was sidelined during the entirety of rookie camp and the rookie faceoff tournament, leaving a lot of fans disappointed.
However, following a return to training camp this past week and several excellent performances during multiple practice sessions, Iginla will lace up his skates and rep the mountain blue for the Wasatch Front Faithful against their Rocky Mountain Rival
Tij Iginla has taken the ice.
Can’t wait to see what we get from the No. 6 pick today.#UtahHockeyClub #NHL pic.twitter.com/msp4P7JzIS
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 25, 2024
Upon returning to training camp, Iginla was thrilled to be back on the ice and shared what it would mean to make his preseason debut for the club this year.
Tij Iginla: “It would mean a lot [to dress for Utah during the preseason]…it would be a huge honor.”
Iginla hopes to play for Utah during the preseason. Important to note he skated with group A today. We’ll see how things develop. Next opportunity to play is Friday in Vegas. pic.twitter.com/NEKyDHdFck
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 26, 2024
“It would mean a lot,” Iginla said. “Obviously there’s your NHL regular season debut, but preseason it would be pretty spectacular too. I got the privilege of watching the one at the Delta Center the other day and it looks like some really good hockey. Fast, physical, obviously it’s the NHL so it would be a huge honor.”
Now stepping into his first NHL preseason game, Iginla will have an opportunity to measure his skills against some the league’s premier talent.
If he does well it may give the coaches a better idea of how close he is to a regular season debut. But for now, it’s anticipated that he’ll return to his junior squad in the WHL following camp.
Iginla is an 18-year-old forward from Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Before joining his local WHL team, Iginla was drafted ninth overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds where he spent two seasons prior to being traded to the Kelowna Rockets.
