Utah Hockey Club made history on Friday night, using their first ever NHL Draft pick in franchise history to select Kelowna Rockets forward Tij Iginla sixth overall at the Sphere in Las Vegas, NV.
Iginla taken 6th overall in NHL draft by Utah
Iginla becomes the second highest Rocket to be drafted into the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs picked Luke Schenn fifth overall in 2008. He's the 11th Rocket and first since 2019 to hear their name called during the first round.
PICK | PLAYER | TEAM | YEAR |
5 | Luke Schenn | Toronto | 2008 |
6 | Tij Iginla | Utah | 2024 |
9 | Kyle McLaren | Boston | 1995 |
12 | Tyler Myers | Buffalo | 2008 |
14 | Cal Foote | Tampa Bay | 2017 |
19 | Lassi Thomson | Ottawa | 2019 |
20 | Scott Parker | Colorado | 1998 |
23 | Scott Hannan | San Jose | 1997 |
27 | Nolan Foote | Tampa Bay | 2019 |
28 | Lucas Johansen | Washington | 2016 |
30 | Nick Merkley | Arizona | 2015 |
Iginla ranked No. 9 among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings heading into the Draft. He was named to the Western Hockey League’s 2023-24 B.C. Division First All-Star Team at the end of the regular-season. The Kelowna Rockets 2024 MVP award winner finished second in scoring among all Rockets with 84 points (47G-37A) in 62 games. His 47 goals were tied for sixth among all WHL skaters.
The Utah Hockey Club the NHL's newest team that will be based in Salt Lake City and play their inaugural season this fall. The NHL approved the sale and relocation of the Arziona Coyotes to Utah in April.
The upcoming season identity for the Utah Hockey Club will include jerseys in Rock Black, Salt White and Mountain Blue, colors reflective of the natural beauty of the state. The team will wear UTAH on their chest for the season, representing a passionate fan base that will have a say in the naming of its new team.
Two other Rockets also had their names called in las Vegas.
Hiroki Gojsic was selected 94th overall by the Nashville Predators.
Max Graham was selected in the 5th round, 139th overall, by the New Jersey Devils.