Friday, March 29, 2013

A Flames Farewell as Iginla heads east


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“He’s played a lot of years here and played as hard as he could,” Flames forward Mike Cammalleri said. “I’ll tell you one thing about Jarome. Every day he tried his best to win hockey games with his teammates.” -- Mike Cammalleri, astute obsverver of Flames hockey, providing the concise and fitting  epitaph for the Jarome Iginla's years as a Flame.

The Flames Mike Cammalleri perhaps offered up the most telling review of the news that the long time Captain of the Calgary Flames had been dispatched to the Boston Bruins, er make that the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night/Thursday morning.  

His spot on observation that Iginla at all times tried his best, is the thing of a hockey gospel. The only problem being, for most of that time in Calgary, the Flames didn't provide him with the assembled talent to fully utilize his talents.

And now, with the long rumoured Iggy is gone headline finally delivered, the consensus is that the stumbling Flames, were a day late and a dollar short in value for their prized asset.

Though no one will find fault with Iginla's new hockey destination, heading to the Penguin's a most active squad in the run up to the Trade Deadline of the 4th of April and already it would seem loaded for war in the Stanley Cup playoffs to come.

The move to Pittsburgh for Iginla is a good fit, he'll find much to celebrate in a culture of success that the Penguins have built, in what seems to the complete opposite of the situation he leaves behind. Pittsburgh, with a line up that most GM's can now only dream of  seems to be the odds on favourite to work their way to the Stanley Cup, a fitting destination for the hard working Iginla, who had but one chance of that ticket in his Calgary days.

The nature of the trade which brings draft picks and unsigned college players, (prospects who perhaps have more on their minds at the moment with the NCAA Frozen Four), highlights the nature of the deprecation of the trade market when you dither in putting together your plan, or facing the cold hard reality of your situation.

Part of that may have been Iginla's oft stated desire to see things through in Calgary, still in a year full of failed expectations and the perception of a team in a free fall to the bottom, even Iginla it seems saw the rebuilding plan to come and submitted his list of teams for consideration.

How he ended up in Pittsburgh over Boston (especially with all that media speculation of Wednesday night) will be the thing of media chortling for the week to come, the preamble to the wall to wall manic obsession with the trade deadline shows.

All of which should be doing like Santa for Wednesday, making their lists and checking them twice.

One name they can scratch off those lists though is one Jarome Iginla and most likely the Penguins too, who surely have the pieces in place now for their Stanley Cup run.

Jarome Iginla will finally get a chance it seems to pursue Lord Stanley's chalice, it should have been as a Flame, a team which in a perfect hockey world (or at least a better managed one) he would have retired with. 

No doubt one day he will return to see that number 12 jersey lifted to the rafters and forever placed as part of the fabric of the Flames franchise.

Still, who can begrudge the guy who gave it all to Calgary for perhaps his last real shot at that which all players seek. Come playoff time, with the Flames most likely long forgotten from the playoff schedule, Albertans can settle in and cheer the Pens on. t

The thought of, "win one for Jarome" perhaps the theme of the playoffs for them.

The reviews (from all three locations)of the Wednesday night trade can be found below:

Calgary

National Post-- Jarome Iginla traded to Penguins, not Bruins, after strange night for TSN
Calgary Herald-- Iginla says goodbye as he moves on to Pittsburgh
Calgary Herald-- Jarome Iginla trade inglorious end to a glorious era
Calgary Herald-- Iginla embracing fresh opportunity in Pittsburgh
Calgary Herald-- King Flames embark on a 'new chapter' after Iginla trade
Calgary Herald-- Flames deal greatest legend in franchise history to Penguins
Calgary Herald-- Jarome Iginla represented Flames with 'dignity, class and pride' says Feaster
Calgary Herald-- Conroy reflects on trade of good friend and old linemate Iginla
Calgary Sun-- 'A difficult day': Jarome Iginla bids farewell to Calgary
Calgary Sun-- Close but no Iggy
Calgary Sun-- Gretzky relates to Iggy's situation
Calgary Sun-- Iginla traded: Flames joined at the hip
Calgary Sun-- Meet the new kids
Calgary Sun-- Ben who? Ken who? for Flames
Calgary Sun-- Chase is on for Stanley Cup
Calgary Sun-- Flames never found No. 1 centre
Calgary Sun-- Iginla trade the best thing for everybody
Calgary Sun-- End of an era in Calgary with Jarome Iginla's departure

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Post Gazette-- Visa troubles keeping Iginla from joining Penguins
Pittsburgh Post Gazette-- Penguins' pursuit of Iginla was months in the making
Pittsburgh Post Gazette-- Penguins expectations even higher
Pittsburgh Post Gazette-- Iginla is ready for any new role with Penguins
Pittsburgh Post Gazette-- Pens acquire Iginla from Calgary
Pittsburgh Trib-Review-- Cup appeal drew Iginla to Pens
Pittsburgh Trib-Review-- Pressure on Penguins? Please
Pittsburgh Trib-Review-- Trading frenzy started with Staal

Boston

Boston Herald -- Mis-deal, try again, Bruins
Boston Herald-- Jarome Iginla deal falls apart
Boston Herald-- We believed we had a deal for Jarome Iginla
NESN--  Peter Chiarelli Admits He Must Get "Creative" As Bruins Need to Improve Becomes more pressing
NESN-- Flames Told Bruins They Had "Won the Jarome Iginla Sweepstakes,' But Winger chose Penguins over B's
NESN-- Jarome Iginla Trade to Bruins Rumour proves to be False, as Aaron Ward Places Blame on "Multiple Sources"


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