Top Utah Hockey Club prospect's season over after he undergoes major surgery
Tij Iginla was an incredible pick for Utah in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, but now the rising star will miss the remainder of the 2024/25 season.
The Utah Hockey Club has shown plenty of promise in their first NHL season, and while they have a great core for the future, it appears they are a long way off being a consistent Stanley Cup Playoffs team.
They added to that core in a big way this past summer, with the addition of Tij Iginla with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, with the Kelowna Rockets forward seemingly ready to make the jump to the league next year.
Now that development has unfortunately been stifled, as the 18-year-old has officially undergone hip surgery, with reports revealing that it will end his WHL season with the Rockets early.
Last season, Iginla emerged in a big way, showing that he has all the tools to be a two-way forward in the NHL, ultimately ending his campaign with an impressive 47 goals and 84 points in 64 games played.
This season he wasn't at quite the same level as a goal scorer, but developed his overall game with 14 goals and 18 points in 21 games played, but will now need to wait until next year to show what he can do.
If this is his last stint with the WHL, this will be a devastating way to end it for Iginla, who grew as both a player and a person with the Rockets after spending two seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds before making the move.
Ultimately, the Hockey Club believes in Iginla on and off the ice, as he has shown traits of being a star at the next level, and if he can get back to 100% ahead of next season's training camp, he'll no doubt give himself a chance to make the NHL roster next year.
| POLL | ||
Will Tij Iginla make his NHL debut for Utah next season? | ||
| Yes | 57 | 76 % |
| No | 18 | 24 % |
| List of polls | ||
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