Flames GM Conroy not making any promises with Tij Iginla at draft
Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy isn’t letting anybody know whether the team will target Tij Iginla in the upcoming NHL draft.
The rookie GM was on last night’s edition of After Hours with Sportsnet’s Scott Oake and Ryan Leslie. The trio discussed various topics that covered his tenure as Flames GM and his playing days.
One of the questions submitted by a fan asked Conroy how hard it is to scout the kids of former teammates, specifically Jarome Iginla’s son Tij, who is expected to be available around the Flames’ range. The answer was about as thought out and neutral as expected from an NHL GM.
“We just have to put everybody in the right order, put them where they belong, and then when we start to draft, we’ll go down the list, and when we pick, whoever is on that list, we’re going to take the best player,” said Conroy. “I haven’t talked to Jarome, Kara, or Tij about any of this.”
Tij has been tearing up the WHL this season with the Kelowna Rockets. The 17-year-old led his team with 47 goals and 64 games this season. He finished second in points with 84, trailing only Washington Capitals prospect Andrew Cristall.
He’s currently on fire in the WHL playoffs, having a whopping seven goals in the first five games of Kelowna’s first-round series against the Wenatchee Wild. The Rockets hold a 3-2 series lead with Game 6 set for today.
Though Conroy was non-committal about whether the Flames would try to swing for Iginla, he did have a twinkle in his eye as he continued to talk about the player.
“It’ll be interesting to see when it comes to the draft, how it all plays out,” Conroy said. “He’s playing great, and it’s exciting for him. You’re excited for all the guys you played with when you see their kids out there; there is something special about each one with Tij and Joe [Iginla]. They grew up with us and my kids, so it’s special.”
Conroy spent nine seasons with the Flames between 2000 and 2011. He appeared in 507 games with Calgary, scoring 97 goals and 308 points.
The NHL has not yet announced when this year’s draft lottery will be. The actual draft is set to take place as the Las Vegas Sphere on June 28 and 29.
Follow Channels and Categories