The Hockey Spotlight Is Coming For Joe Iginla

The World Under-17 Challenge is a great place to watch the stars of the future, but it's also an excellent opportunity for young players to gain confidence during what is usually their first full season of junior hockey.

The tournament, taking place in Sarnia right now, features two Canadian teams, plus Team USA, Sweden, Finland and Czechia this year. One of the most recognizable names will be suiting up for Canada Red - Joe Iginla.

The youngest son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, Joe is currently in his first full season with the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings. The young right winger has two points in his first 11 games on a strong Oil Kings squad, but his potential was seen last year when he posted five points in five games during a brief stint with the squad.

"It was definitely nice to dip my toes in and see what the level was like," Iginla said. "It will really help for this year, I hope."

The pace of the WHL was the biggest adjustment for Iginla, who spent the majority of last season with Rink Hockey Academy in Kelowna as part of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL), which is the top development circuit for kids before they get to the 'Dub.'

As good as the CSSHL is, growing up as an Iginla was a priceless experience for Joe, where summer training takes on an all-star vibe.

"I spent a lot of time with my dad, brother and sister working on skating and down-low play and keeping the puck with you on turns," he said. "It's a lot about skating, mostly."

Along with dad Jarome, there's also big brother Tij, the Utah first-rounder and WHL Kelowna star, plus older sister Jade, who won gold with Canada at the World Under-18s and is currently a point-per-gamer with Brown University in the NCAA. So, what was it like growing up in such an esteemed hockey family?

"Oh, you're definitely getting dragged along when you're young," Joe said. "You're not as good as them, but you have no choice but to keep trying to catch up."

Fair enough, but who was harder on Lil' Joe?

"Definitely my brother," he said. "My sister is a kind girl; my brother speaks the truth a little more."

I had the chance to get Tij's side of the story, and he agreed with the assessment, but he also loved that family atmosphere on the ice.

"It was awesome," Tij said. "Me and my siblings have fun together, and we skate together in the summer. We push each other and we hold a pretty high standard during those skates - you're expected to make passes."

The pair didn't play against each other last season, and Kelowna doesn't meet up with Edmonton until March, but you can bet it's going to be a competitive matchup.

"I kinda want to fight him," Joe said. "But I don't think that's actually going to be happening, unfortunately."

Tij, who comes in at six-foot, 195 pounds, laughed when he heard his 5-foot-10, 166-pound brother's statement.

"He's not fighting me, I'll just say that," he said. "But it'll be cool to see him in the league and super-fun to play him."

Related: NHL Prospect Pool Overview 2024-25: The Utah Hockey Club Has Towering Expectations

There's no doubt Joe has a fun offensive game in him. During Canada's World Under-17 camp in the summer, he played on a line with OHLers Braidy Wassilyn and Colin Fitzgerald, both of whom bring a lot of skill. That trio created a bunch of offensive opportunities together, and it's worth noting that all three are on Canada Red. And as a sign of the times, Iginla noted that he was stoked to play with Wassilyn because he had seen the Niagara IceDogs rookie's highlight moves on TikTok.

If Iginla and his Canada Red mates can win gold at the tournament, it will be a great experience in their development. Iginla's not eligible for the NHL draft until 2026, so he has plenty of time to hone his game in the WHL, but as we've seen time and again, the World Under-17s can be a stepping stone. On the other side, we may find yet another Iginla on the rise.

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