by In a shocking turn of events on a wild Thursday morning, the Calgary Flames announced that they’ve traded franchise icon Jarome Iginla to the Penguins for Pittsburgh's first-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, the rights to unsigned draft choice Kenneth Agostino and unsigned draft choice Ben Hanowski.
Throughout much of Wednesday night, reports from numerous media outlets had Iginla being traded to Boston, but the Flames announced the deal with Pittsburgh at 1:30 a.m. ET Thursday, not long after their 4-3 home victory against Colorado.
It is the third major deal in the past 72 hours by Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero. On Monday, he obtained gritty veteran forward Brenden Morrow from the Dallas Stars for prospect Joe Morrow and a draft pick. Less than 24 hours later, he plucked veteran defenseman Douglas Murray from San Jose for two second-round picks. Now he has bagged Iginla, the prize of this year's trade market
Iginla, 35, has nine goals and 22 points this season for the struggling Flames. He has played his entire NHL career in Calgary, scoring 525 goals with the Flames. He had played 441 consecutive games before the Flames scratched him Wednesday night for their game against the Avalanche. He had appeared in every game for Calgary since April 7, 2007.
Iginla will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
He is a three-time First-Team All-Star, won the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's top goal-scorer in 2002 and 2004, and led the NHL in points in 2001-02. He has been the Flames' captain since the start of the 2003-04 season.
A first-round pick by the Dallas Stars (No. 11) at the 1995 NHL Draft, Iginla was dealt to the Flames in a deal that sent Joe Nieuwendyk to Dallas on Dec. 20, 1995. Iginla made his NHL debut with the Flames during the 1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs and had spent his entire career with Calgary.
Iginla has appeared in 1,219 regular-season games, scoring 525 goals and 570 assists. He also has 28 goals and 21 assists in 54 postseason contests. Iginla came close to winning a championship in 2004, when the Flames lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Calgary sits in second-to-last place in the Western Conference, although they are just six points behind the eighth-place San Jose Sharks. But the Flames must climb past six clubs with just 16 games remaining to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Agostino, 20, was a fifth-round pick of the Penguins in the 2010 NHL Draft. The junior forward has a career-high 15 goals and 37 points for Yale this season
Hanowski, a 22-year-old right wing, was a third-round pick in the 2009 Draft. He just finished his senior season with St. Cloud State, where he scored 62 goals and 111 points in four years.
"Our pro scouts feel very strongly about these players," Flames general manager Jay Feaster said after the trade was announced. "They fit our criteria for hockey sense. and they have good skill level."
Throughout much of Wednesday night, reports from numerous media outlets had Iginla being traded to Boston, but the Flames announced the deal with Pittsburgh at 1:30 a.m. ET Thursday, not long after their 4-3 home victory against Colorado.
It is the third major deal in the past 72 hours by Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero. On Monday, he obtained gritty veteran forward Brenden Morrow from the Dallas Stars for prospect Joe Morrow and a draft pick. Less than 24 hours later, he plucked veteran defenseman Douglas Murray from San Jose for two second-round picks. Now he has bagged Iginla, the prize of this year's trade market
Iginla, 35, has nine goals and 22 points this season for the struggling Flames. He has played his entire NHL career in Calgary, scoring 525 goals with the Flames. He had played 441 consecutive games before the Flames scratched him Wednesday night for their game against the Avalanche. He had appeared in every game for Calgary since April 7, 2007.
Iginla will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
He is a three-time First-Team All-Star, won the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's top goal-scorer in 2002 and 2004, and led the NHL in points in 2001-02. He has been the Flames' captain since the start of the 2003-04 season.
A first-round pick by the Dallas Stars (No. 11) at the 1995 NHL Draft, Iginla was dealt to the Flames in a deal that sent Joe Nieuwendyk to Dallas on Dec. 20, 1995. Iginla made his NHL debut with the Flames during the 1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs and had spent his entire career with Calgary.
Iginla has appeared in 1,219 regular-season games, scoring 525 goals and 570 assists. He also has 28 goals and 21 assists in 54 postseason contests. Iginla came close to winning a championship in 2004, when the Flames lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Calgary sits in second-to-last place in the Western Conference, although they are just six points behind the eighth-place San Jose Sharks. But the Flames must climb past six clubs with just 16 games remaining to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Agostino, 20, was a fifth-round pick of the Penguins in the 2010 NHL Draft. The junior forward has a career-high 15 goals and 37 points for Yale this season
Hanowski, a 22-year-old right wing, was a third-round pick in the 2009 Draft. He just finished his senior season with St. Cloud State, where he scored 62 goals and 111 points in four years.
"Our pro scouts feel very strongly about these players," Flames general manager Jay Feaster said after the trade was announced. "They fit our criteria for hockey sense. and they have good skill level."
