His Hockey Hall of Fame father went undrafted in the annual Western Hockey League鈥檚 bantam draft selection.
So, in essence, Tij Iginla is one up on dad, Jarome.
Lake Country鈥檚 Tij was taken in the first round, ninth overall, of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft Thursday, Dec. 9, by the Seattle Thunderbirds. Tij is coached by his dad 鈥� the former Kamloops Blazers, Calgary Flames and Team Canada Olympics stalwart 鈥� at 麻豆精选鈥檚 Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep team.
The junior Iginla is a 5-foot-10, 150 pound 15-year-old forward with Rink Academy. The elder Iginla was inducted into the Hall of Fame last month.
In case you needed video of our recently drafted Tij Iginla pic.twitter.com/0L3MKWePFt
鈥� Seattle Thunderbirds (@SeattleTbirds) December 9, 2021
Iginla鈥檚 teammate Ryder Ritchie of 麻豆精选 was taken 14th overall by the Prince Albert Raiders.
The Spokane Chiefs had the first overall pick and went with 5-foot-11, 155-pound centre Berkly Catton of the Saskatoon Contacts U18 AAA team.
Jordan Gavin of Surrey, and the Delta Hockey Academy U17 Prep team, a 5-foot-11, 143-pound centre, was chosen second overall by the Tri-City Americans.
It was a huge day for 麻豆精选/West 麻豆精选 players and for hockey academies in the Central and South Okanagan.
Seven 麻豆精选 players were selected, as were two each from West 麻豆精选 and Lake Country, and one player each from Vernon, Salmon Arm and Penticton. All were selected by the eighth of 14 rounds in the draft.
Rink Hockey Academy鈥檚 U18 Prep team had a staggering nine players picked in the draft, along with two from its U16 Prep squad. Penticton鈥檚 Okanagan Hockey Academy鈥檚 U17 Prep Black team had four players taken, and there was one selection from the academy鈥檚 U16 Prep Team.
The Okanagan Rockets had one player selected from each of its U18 AAA and U17 AAA squads, and the B.C. Hockey League鈥檚 West 麻豆精选 Warriors had one player chosen.
OKANAGAN-SHUSWAP SELECTIONS (name, overall selection, round chosen, WHL team selection, current team, hometown):
鈥� Tij Iginla - 1st, 9th, Seattle Thunderbirds, Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep, Lake Country
鈥� Ryder Ritchie - 1st, 14th, Prince Albert Raiders, Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep, 麻豆精选
鈥� Maddix McCagherty - 22nd, 25th, Swift Current Broncos, Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep, 麻豆精选
鈥� Lynden Lakovic - 2nd, 27th, Moose Jaw Warriors, West Van Warriors U18 Prep, West 麻豆精选
鈥� Hunter Laing - 2nd, 33rd, Prince George Cougars, Rink Hockey Academy U16 Prep, 麻豆精选
鈥� Jesse Sanche - 2nd, 42nd, Kamloops Blazers, Okanagan Hockey Academy U17 Prep Black, 麻豆精选
鈥� Seth Tansem - 2nd, 43rd, Prince Albert, Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep, 麻豆精选
鈥� Nathan Mayes - 3rd, 51st, Spokane Chiefs, Yale Hockey Academy U17 Prep, Salmon Arm
鈥� Evan Gardner - 3rd, 53rd, Saskatoon Blades, Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep, Lake Country
鈥� Cole Wadsworth - 4th, 73rd, Spokane, Okanagan Hockey Academy U17 Prep Black, Penticton
鈥� Ethan Merner - 4th, 80th, Calgary Hitmen, Yale Hockey Academy U17 Prep, 麻豆精选
鈥� Ethan Mackenzie - 4th, 82nd, Edmonton Oil Kings, Rink Hockey Academy U16 Prep, West 麻豆精选
鈥� Tyson Matthews - 6th, 128th, Prince George, Okanagan Rockets U17AAA, Vernon
鈥� Tyson Jugnauth - 7th, 147th, Kamloops Blazers, West 麻豆精选 Warriors {BCHL}, Richmond
鈥� Kaslo Ferner - 7th, 151st, Regina Pats, Okanagan Rockets U18 AAA, 麻豆精选
The entire draft list can be found here.
In the sixth round, we're proud to select defenceman Tyson Matthews from the Okanagan Rockets U17 AAA.#WHLDraft pic.twitter.com/2Pndk6elvm
鈥� PG Cougars (@PGCougars) December 9, 2021
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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