NHL Draft Profile- Tij Iginla

The 2024 NHL Draft will be here before you know it, and Draft 412 will preview some of the prospects who will be probable first round picks. Draft 412 will review the strengths and weaknesses of each prospect, and where they should land in the NHL Draft.

Name- Tij Iginla

Pos- RW/C

Team- Kelowna Rockets (WHL)

HT/WT- 6’0” 186 lbs

Born- 8/1/2006

Home – Lake Country, British Columbia, Canada

Tij Iginla was born in Lake Country, British Columbia, Canada. He is the son of Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Jarome Iginla, who played 21 seasons in the NHL. While attending Rink Academy in Kelowna and playing for their under-18 team, Iginla was drafted 9th overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2021 Western Hockey League draft.

He only played 3 games in his draft season of 2021-2022, picking up 1 assist. Iginla made his international debut for Canada as a member of Team Canada Red at the 2022 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. He scored 2 goals and 5 assists in 7 games and won a silver medal. 

In his rookie year for Seattle in 2022-2023, he played in 48 games and scored 6 goals and 12 assists. Iginla was traded from Seattle to the Kelowna Rockets prior to this past season and had a season which shot him up the NHL draft boards. He played in 64 games and scored 47 goals and he added 37 assists to lead the Rockets. He represented Canada at the 2024 IIHF World U18 Championships, scoring 6 goals and 6 assists in 7 games, including a 3-point performance in the gold medal game against the United States, where he scored the game-winning goal.

Tij Iginla possesses a quick release on his shot which generates a lot of power. What makes Iginla unique however is his ability to shoot the puck from any angle, making him dangerous throughout the offensive zone. He has soft hands and moves the puck quickly while keeping his vision on the ice. He is strong on his skates and uses his agility more than pure speed to beat opponents.

Iginla is effective without the puck too, and is always moving his feet and looking for and finding soft spots in the defense. One of the best traits he takes from his father is his high character and work ethic. He busts his butt in the offensive zone and he has the mentality and composure to one day be a captain in the NHL.

Iginla struggles at times to defend the slot as a center and some teams may view him as a future left winger. He cheats at times when he is the breakout option and can put himself out of position if there is a turnover. The defensive letdowns are not from hustle but more of a positional problem that can be fixed,

At times, Iginla can try and do too much with the puck and that leads to carless turnovers. He is not an elite skater and lacks the game changing speed of other prospects. He makes up for his lack of burst by being so strong on this skates.

Iginla has a thin frame and needs to work on adding muscle before entering the NHL. 

Although he does share some of the skillset with his father Jarome, Chris Kreider is an excellent comparison for Tij Iginla. Although Kreider is 3" taller than Iginla, their shots are both powerful and accurate and they can score from anywhere on the ice. 

Kreider is hard working and does a lot of his damage finding open spots in defenses to unleash his wicked shot. Iginla plays a similar style and the stats Kreider has put up in his NHL career should be looked at as Iginla's ceiling. 

Tij Iginla is hard not to like. His shot is elite in this class and he is a proven finisher. He most likely will be a future left wing in the league with a chance to score 30 plus goals down the road. He should be drafted in the top half of the NHL Draft in 2024.

Strengths

• Soft Hands
• Power of Shots
• Moves Well Without the Puck
• Work Ethic
• High Character

Weaknesses

• Turnovers
• Elite Skating
• Defensive Zone

Draft Nation Draft Projection-  First round pick