A Day Late and a Dollar Short? Not Iggy!

So I'm (yet again) terribly late to the party, talking about our team's franchise players.

Let's go through some Flames, more past than present...


Growing up in the 1980s as I did, the Flames' franchise player was clearly Lanny McDonald. He gave us (for a few short years) the ability to match up against Gretzky's Oilers just north of us, and his moustache could be spotted for miles around.

After the Cup win in 1989, Lanny retired, and a new generation of players took up the mantle in quick succession: Doug Gilmour, Joe Niewendyk, Al MacInnis, Gary Roberts. But soon the face of the franchise was evident... it was one of my favourite all time Flames, Theo Fleury. Not only was he the last one left from the Cup team, he was a feisty lil' fireplug on the ice, and was only recently passed as the franchise's all-time scoring leader.

But from out of the sad years of the 1990s, a new leader emerged, one who is indisputably our franchise man today. A perennial scoring leader in the league, a mean, tough player on the ice, a guy who can throw the punches and pick up the team and carry them wherever he needs to go. A class act in the community, an example to all the local kids, a role model for minorities everywhere.

Jarome Iginla.

His performance in the 2002 Olympics and then the magic Cup run of 2004 cemented his place in Flames history. For the last 12 years, he has been the lynchpin for all our various GMs and coaches' (he's seen three general managers and eight head coaches for the Flames during his time with us) schemes to improve the team.

In his time here (and that will continue, what with the long term contract he just signed), he has become not just the face of the Flames today, but possibly the greatest Flame of all time.

In short, he's da man. Our man.

SHAMELESS SHILL TIME: For a less polished version of pretty much the same post, look at one of our greatest hits, on our blog...