Tij Iginla, 16, was traded to Kelowna from the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Kelowna Rockets
June 07, 2023 - 10:39 AM
Kelowna Rockets picked up Tij Iginla from the Seattle Thunderbirds in a post-season trade.
Iginla, 16, was the ninth overall pick in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, set to start the 2024 season back in his hometown.
The Rockets traded 2005-born Grady Lenton, a 2024 first-round draft pick and returned Seattle's 2027 second-round pick, which Kelowna previously acquired in May through a draft exchange, according to a Kelowna Rockets news release issued today, June 7.
"We're excited to have the chance to acquire a player like Tij," team president and general manager Bruce Hamilton said in the release. “He has a full season in the Western Hockey League as a 16-year-old under his belt. We gave up a lot in first, third and fifth round picks to get him, but we think he will be one of the top players on our team."
Iginla, son of 2020 NHL Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, played 48 games with Seattle this season, posting six goals and 12 assists. He played three playoff games against the Rockets this season, posting an assist and two penalty minutes, according to the release.
Originally from Lake Country, he plays forward at 6' and 181 lb.
“He’s a great skater with great hockey sense, who shoots the puck well. He’s exactly who we’re looking for in the makeup of our team in trying to get faster. With the personnel that we have, he adds to the group of elite players that can play in our top six," Hamilton said.
Lenton, who will now play in Seattle, played 59 games with the Rockets this season, earning four goals and four assists.
"We'd like to thank Grady for his time with the Rockets. We wish him all the best in Seattle and moving forward," Hamilton said.
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