I remember Iginla missing that empty net. When those forever classy Vancouver fans rained garbage onto the ice. The thrown jacket was the best though. Iginla tripping over it on his way back up the ice preventing him from getting back into the play is something I'll always remember. That and Jovanovski's spazgasm in the penalty box...
Clearly this has become some sort of vendetta against Jarome Iginla. I would love to have you better define "clutch". To me, the most "clutch" performance of all-time was Mark Messier's "guaranteed win" in Game 6 against the Devils in '94 where he proceeded to score a hat-trick to back it up. Does the fact that he only managed a secondary assist in Game 7 mean he wasn't "clutch" in a bigger game? I also suppose that since he scored a goal and an assist in Game 7 to knock out the Canucks that year, he's most certainly "clutch" despite the fact that in the previous six games he only managed a goal and 3 assists with all but one assist coming in losing efforts. Was there no need to be "clutch" in those games? Or, is it that maybe a player can bring a lot more to the table than just these "clutch" performances and maybe there's more than just stats to define what a player does for his team in a "big" game?
Either way, here are some other examples off the top of my head I would think you would define as "clutch" performances:
WHL Playoffs & Memorial Cup
As a junior rookie at 16 years old, scores two goals in the final game of the 1994 WHL Championship to help send the Blazers to the Memorial Cup.
Scores three game winning goals in 4-1 series win over Seattle in the 1996 quarter-final en route to scoring 16 goals and 13 assists in just 16 games. Good for 4th best in the playoffs.
1996 World Junior Championships
Tournament Leading Scorer and MVP: Jarome Iginla
His only World Junior Tournament, in the semi-final against Russia, scored the winning goal late in the 3rd for a 4-3 win then went on to set up Canada's first three goals en route to a 4-1 win over Sweden in the final.
2002 Olympics
While Iginla played well in the 2006 and 2010 Olympics (let's not forget who set up the "Golden Goal" in Vancouver... pretty "clutch" there) Iginla was lights out in the Gold Medal game in 2002. Two goals and an assist playing alongside Joe Sakic to put the game away in the third period.
NHL Career
Before even playing a regular season NHL game, suits up for two playoff games for the hapless Flames at 18 years old, tallying an assist in his first ever game and scoring the Flames ONLY goal in the final game of their eventual sweep at the hands of the Blackhawks.
In the 2004 playoffs, scored 13 goals to lead all players and added 9 assists for 22 points, good enough for third overall. He was also +13 for the entire post season. The best of all forwards. You say he wasn't "clutch" so let's take a look:
Of his 13 goals, 3 were the first goal of the game, one tied the game and another three were game winners. Of the three game winning goals, the first was in the third period of Game 5 vs. Vancouver to give the Flames a 2-1 victory on the road. The second was in Game 5 vs. San Jose short-handed to put the Flames up 1-0 en route to a 3-0 shutout, again on the road. The third winner was in Game 1 vs. Tampa Bay, another short-handed goal to break a 1-1 score, on the road of course.
Game winning goals in the Conference Finals and Cup Finals, short-handed? That sounds pretty "clutch". Oh, but there's more!
Of Iginla's nine post-season assists, he assisted on the game-winning goal SIX times. Twice in regulation, and FOUR times in overtime. He assisted on the OT winning goals to eliminate both Vancouver and Detroit as well as the OT winner in Game 1 vs. San Jose and a critical OT goal in Game 5 vs. Tampa in the Final. All but the goal against Detroit were scored in the opposition's rink no less.
Without Iginla's play, the Flames would never have had the chance to even get to the finals, let alone get to a 7th game.
In the post-seasons since the 2004 run, the Flames haven't faired well. However, despite the team's lack of success, it can't come down to a lack of "clutch" play from Jarome Iginla. 14 goals and 11 assists in 26 games including game winning goals against Anaheim and Detroit and though the team was unable to win, goals in the final game vs. Detroit and San Jose, the San Jose goal to tie the game early. You point out that Roenick "man-handled" Iginla in that final game. Roenick's 4 point night was impressive, no doubt. I'd certainly define it as "clutch". How many points did he get before that game though? None. It's one thing to have a big game but when you contribute nothing in getting your team to that game in the first place, it takes something away from it. Not to take anything away from JR. He had a fantastic career.
Last of all in regular season play, of Jarome Iginla's 506 goals, 80 are game-winners. A 16% clip good enough for 17th all-time on a list of players with 350 or more goals. To put that into perspective, of Wayne Gretzky's 892 goals only 91 are game-winners - a 10% pace.
Jarome Iginla will never be the definition of a "clutch" player. There are many better players out there. But, to say he isn't "clutch" at all, doesn't make any sense.
Oh, and on topic - Keith Tkachuk to the Hawks? I have no idea. It might have made a difference? Meh.
