Iggy has been a leader on this team for more than a dozen years. He is more than a hockey player in this town, and even more than an icon, he is a responsible model for the kids as well as the best hockey player this town has ever seen. The team has never managed to build support for him, never managed to get him his first line center and let one season after another go by burning this great players career.
Iginla produced, fought and showed his passion and fire. He embodied what it was to be a professional on this team who couldnt seem to do whatever it was that was required to put them over the top. In my mind he should retire a Flame.
If and when he goes, this team loses an ambassador - we basically become Columbus and its where the players that get traded here against their will, or players end up trying to resurrect their career - unless we get lucky.
I hope we appreciate high draft picks, for a while, unless we give other players hope, its hard to attract them. Im not saying Iginla is the only factor that seperates us from them - and Im not even sure we arent close to being at that position already - but I am pretty sure that Iginla is one factor that seperates us from that.
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