Tij Iginla embraces family name, eager to follow his Hall of Fame dad's footsteps entering NHL draft

Tij Iginila doesn't shy away from his famous last name, instead embracing the expectations that come with being the son of a Hockey Hall of Famer.

The 17-year-old is so comfortable being Jarome Iginla's son, he welcomes the possibility of following his father's footsteps should he be selected by the Calgary Flames in the NHL draft this weekend in Las Vegas.

"I think there might be a little extra attention and expectations and pressure. But for me, having my dad and having my family, the pros heavily outweigh the cons," Iginla said earlier this month.

"Obviously, if I was to go to Calgary, that would be kind of magnified," he added. "I mean, I'd be thrilled to go anywhere. But I think it would be cool to play in a Canadian market where the fans have as much passion as they do."

Jarome Iginla spent 15-plus of his 20 NHL seasons being the face of the Flames after being traded to Calgary by Dallas six months after the Stars selected him with the 11th pick in the 1995 draft.

The intrigue of another Iginla landing in Calgary has become a topic of discussion after the 6-foot, 182-pound forward significantly boosted his draft stock. His 47 goals in 64 games for the Kelowna Rockets ranked sixth among Western Hockey League players and he finished 22nd overall with 84 points; it was a 41-goal and 66-point improvement from his rookie season.

The Flames currently hold the ninth pick, and Iginla just happens to be NHL Central Scouting's ninth-ranked North American skater, though his overall ranking drops outside of the top 10 when adding in European skaters.

Jarome Iginla, now a Flames adviser recently told Sportsnet.com he has no input in the team's plans.

Tij Iginla heads the list of prospects with direct NHL ties expected to be