Best & Worst Free Agent Signings in NHL History & Cool Things About Iginla
Also, some "Today in Hockey History", the five greatest Canadian hockey players ever, revisiting the trade that sent Jarome Iginla to the Penguins, and more.
Welcome to the THW Hockey History Substack newsletter, with all the best from our extensive archives.
Today in Hockey History: July 3
July 3 has seen a lot of activity by numerous Hall of Famers. Some of the best players in National Hockey League history were either changing teams, retiring, or being born on this date. Let’s take our daily trip back in time to relive all the top memories.
The Best Free Agent Signings in NHL History
Free agency is a very important aspect of the NHL. The best NHL free agent signings, typically of players with high skill, retain the ability to drastically improve a given team in an instant.
The Worst Free Agent Signings in NHL History
NHL free agency generates a large amount of excitement throughout the hockey world every year. In some cases, an NHL team will make a great signing, acquiring a player through a low-term, low-paying contract who brings unexpected results and production to his new team. Maybe they lead the club to a Stanley Cup or two. On the other hand, NHL teams may sign a player to a long-term contract that pays an extremely high yearly salary. For whatever reason, these contracts tend to be the least successful, as teams tend to get less than desired production and results from these players who have expectations of greatness placed upon them.
Today in Hockey History: July 2
Usually, July 1 is reserved for the signing of big free-agent contracts, but July 2 has seen its fair share of new deals getting done too. One Hall of Fame goaltender found a new home twice on this date, and another future Hall of Famer was born in Canada.
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5 Greatest Canadian Hockey Players Ever
Since the NHL was formed back in 1917, fans have seen a plethora of talent come and go. There have been many greats in the past, plenty of whom are still talked about to this day. There are lots of players in the league today who will one day be thought about in the same realm, such as Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and many more.
Calgary Flames: Revisiting the Jarome Iginla Trade
Over 11 years ago, in late March 2013, Calgary Flames fans were heartbroken to see not only their best leader but one of the best leaders in NHL history in Jarome Iginla get traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The move didn’t come as much of a shock, as his contract was set to expire at the end of the 2012-13 season, and the team was in the midst of a rebuild. Still, it was very hard to say goodbye to the man who wore the ‘C’ for nine seasons and was still an incredible player.
7 Cool Things About Jarome Iginla: Calgary Flames Hall of Famer
Former Calgary Flames forward Jarome Iginla was both a great hockey player and a class act. Now, he’s in the Hockey Hall of Fame. In this post, I want to help fans get to know the former Flame a little better. Here are 7 cool things about Iginla.