Social media reacts to Flames' retiring of Jarome Iginla's No. 12

Jackie Spiegel

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Social media reacts to Flames' retiring of Jarome Iginla's No. 12 image

Jarome Iginla laced up his skates for the better part of 16 seasons with the Calgary Flames, serving as the heart and soul of the franchise. On Saturday, his No. 12 became the third retired number in the Saddledome's rafters joining Lanny McDonald and Mike Vernon.

A pure power forward, the right wing skated in 1,219 games with Calgary recording 525 goals and 570 assists for 1,095 of his 1,300 career points. Not one to shy away from dropping the gloves, he also accumulated 831 penalty minutes. The Flames leader in games, goals and points, Iginla served as the team's captain for nine seasons.

Long admired and respected, the hockey world took to social media to honor the future Hall of Famer:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I remember meeting Jarome when he was just 18 years old- already a phenomenal hockey player, I was struck by his humble character, strong leadership, and of course…that incredible ability to score from pretty much anywhere on the ice. A fellow Alberta boy, I couldn’t have been more proud. 🏒 🏒 …fast forward to today, hanging up the skates after more than two decades of one phenomenal career, Iggy! You are a legend, a hero, an idol. Thank you for what you’ve done for our sport and the community…congrats buddy, and enjoy retirement! 🥅 #teammates #nhlalumni #icalliggyformyteamboys #500goals #seeyouonthecourse #thankyouiggy #jaromeiginla

A post shared by Lanny McDonald (@lannymac9009) on

Jackie Spiegel