Overview
From his days as a boy to his gold-medal victory at the Olympics, Jarome Iginla has been a determined and ambitious person who has achieved success beyond his wildest dreams. The Sensational Jarome Iginla traces the life of one of the best hockey players in the world, the captain of the Calgary Flames, from his early playing days to his rookie year in the NHL, to his heroic leadership in 2004 when the Flames made it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals.Synopsis
Fans, media, and NHL players alike have acclaimed Jarome Iginla worldwide, but his rise to greatness was slow and methodical, not meteoric. This lively biography covers his life and career, from the low moments to the high points. The latter include the moment he scored the crucial goals that helped Canada beat the U.S. in the Olympics; being named the Lester B. Pearson Award winner; and his status as hockey’s most appealing ambassador. Iginla was named captain of the Calgary Flames in 2003, making him only the second player of African descent to be named captain of an NHL team. Author Peter Bailey’s lively style captures Iginla as both a charming, unpretentious man as well as a master player.
Children's Literature
He has played for Team Canada in the Olympics and helped them bring home a gold medal, but Jarome Iginla is best known for years of dedicated play for the Calgary Flames. In this full-color, photo-laden biography licensed by Hockey Canada, author Peter Bailey keeps a conversational tone as he traces Iginla's career from his early skating days at age six to his fight for the Stanley Cup at age 26. Drafted to the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League at age 16, Iginla spent three years improving his game, strength and skating abilities. Although he was drafted by the Dallas Stars, he was traded to the Calgary Flames and began National Hockey League play in 1996. It took several years for the Flames to build up a strong enough record to compete for the Stanley Cup, but when they did—with Jarome Iginla as the team captain—they took it all the way to game seven before being bested by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. Although the author has a few quotes from Iginla's family about his childhood and early days of skating, the book has little personal information past childhood, other than to note he married and had a child. The book focuses primarily on Iginla's career, and highlights include two trips to the Olympics, playing for Canada in the World Cup of Hockey, and winning several awards, including the Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals, the Art Ross Trophy for most points in a season, and the Lester B. Pearson Award for being the best player in the NHL as voted by the players. Fans of hockey will love Bailey's action-packed, play-by-play style of storytelling and Iginla fans will relish the plethora of photographs of their man on the ice. Reviewer: Keri CollinsLewis