Tij Iginla embraces family name, eager to follow his Hall of Fame dad’s footsteps entering NHL draft

By JOHN WAWROW
AP Hockey Writer

Tij Iginla embraces his family name and the possibility of following his hockey Hall of Fame father Jarome’s footsteps should the Calgary Flames select him in the NHL draft that opens with the first round on Friday. The 17-year-old Iginla blossomed in his second Western Hockey League season with 47 goals and 84 assists in 64 games for the Kelowna Rockets. His father spent 15-plus seasons playing in Calgary and is an advisor for the Flames, who currently have the ninth pick. He’s one of numerous prospects who have NHL family ties in a group that includes Aatos Koivu, Lukas Fischer and Max Plante.