Tij Iginla #12 of the Utah Hockey Club plays the Colorado Avalanche in the second period at Ball Arena on September 29, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Following a great first training camp experience and demonstrating a lot of potential, The Utah Hockey Club officially assigned 2024 first round draft pick Tij Iginla back to his junior team in Kelowna (WHL) on Wednesday morning.
Tij Iginla has been assigned to Kelowna (WHL).
Great first NHL camp for the recent draftee. Lots to be excited about. He’ll be in the NHL before too long.#UtahHC
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 2, 2024
After missing the rookie camp and rookie faceoff tournament due to a lower-body injury, Iginla finally joined the Utah Hockey Club during the second week of training camp. In just a few practices and two preseason game appearances, Iginla impressed the coaching staff and several of his NHL teammates before ultimately returning to the juniors.
Iginla is back, he looked great, and he’s thrilled to be in Utah.#UtahHockeyClub #NHL pic.twitter.com/EUEp0Oiz2Y
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 25, 2024
Upon his return from injury, Iginla looked really strong in Utah’s practices and hit the ice hard right from the start. He didn’t appear bothered by the injury and was excellent offensively. He looked comfortable, competed well and consistently demonstrated his elite offensive skillset.
Iginla beats Ingram low 🚨#UtahHockeyClub pic.twitter.com/wIb17rMo0Z
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 30, 2024
“All the sudden he’s on the ice and it comes to you pretty quick why we drafted him so high,” Armstrong told KSL Sports. “You could see that in how he played yesterday and just his ability to finish and the high level of skill level that he has.”
“We’re really excited about getting him back on the ice and hopefully, if he keeps progressing, he’ll get a chance to play in an exhibition game. We’re not sure yet but let’s see how the injury goes,” Armstrong added.
As for his two preseason appearances, Iginla proved he can hang with NHL skaters and looked noticeably comfortable despite not registering a point on the scoring sheet. He was also consistently involved in the offensive zone for Utah and continued to demonstrate how dangerous he can be.
“He’s super talented,” Keller told KSL Sports. “You can tell right away. He shoots it very good as well. The first couple skates I was surprised at how hard and good he shoots it. He’s going to be a special player…a guy I’m looking forward to playing with soon.”
In two games, Iginla registered five shots on net.
For now, Iginla will return to the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL for another year in the juniors to continue his development.
Looking back at last season, Iginla absolutely scorched opposing nets for the Rockets with 47 goals and 37 assists in 64 appearances. If he can repeat that kind of production or even build upon it, Iginla will be trending towards an NHL roster in no time. He’ll also have a great chance to make Team Canada’s U20 roster for the World Juniors this winter.
Related: Utah Hockey Club Prospect Profiles: Tij Iginla
Anticipating that Iginla continues to play the best hockey of his young career, he’ll likely follow a similar path to the pros as his Utah teammate Dylan Guenther, who spent a few seasons in the juniors before being called up to the AHL and eventually the NHL.
Rest assured; this is a completely normal process that most first round picks experience in the NHL. One thing is for sure though, Iginla was a great draft selection by Utah and boasts the greatest offensive potential of any of their recent picks.
Will his jersey be raised to the rafters here one day?#UtahHockeyClub #NHL pic.twitter.com/jfKRexVOgr
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 30, 2024
The Utah Hockey Club will continue their preseason against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night at the Honda Center. The game can be viewed on SEG+. Fans can also tune in on air on the KSL Sports APP or on 97.5 and 1280 The Zone. Click here for the full schedule.
