It was six years ago when I last interviewed Jarome Iginla.

He was a bashful 19-year-old embarking on his first National Hockey League season with the Calgary Flames amid little fanfare.

What struck me about the rookie was his unfailing politeness, modest manner and genuine kid-in-a- candy store smile. However, he betrayed a distinct lack of confidence as he discussed his NHL prospects.

Fast-forward six years.

Larry MacDougal, Business Edge
Calgary Flames winger Jarome Iginla says there are responsibilities that come with signing a big contract in the NHL.

Today, Iginla smiles off the pages of magazine covers. He’s on the cover of Maclean’s and virtually every hockey magazine. He’s featured in the current issue of GQ. He’s the Olympic hero, the NHL scoring champion and the highest-paid athlete in Calgary history, thanks to a newly minted, two-year, $13-million US contract with the Flames.

But has fame and fortune changed Iginla?

It doesn’t seem so.

Celebrity status has at least failed to diminish the boyish Iginla smile, which radiates throughout the interview at the Pengrowth Saddledome.

But there is one marked difference in the 25-year-old. While appearing as humble as ever, this Iginla sports a supreme air of confidence about his life, game and new-found celebrity status. 1. How seriously do you take being a role model to kids?

“I look at being a role model to kids as an honour. I know I looked up to professional athletes when I was a kid. I’d want them to look at me and think that they, too, can follow their dreams and realize that anything’s possible.”

2. Who’s the leader you most admire in sports, business or life?

“It is probably (basketball icon) Michael Jordan. I love the way that he wasn’t scared to try another sport (baseball) and give another sport a chance. He wasn’t worried about failing. He was always helping his teams win.”

Larry MacDougal, Business Edge
Jarome Iginla is big news in the hockey business.

3. What, in your mind, makes a great leader?

“I think it’s the way you treat people. It’s important to make people feel a part of the situation or a part of the team. That sums it up.”

4. Who has had the greatest influence on your life?

“I don’t think I can pick one person. It was my family – my mom, my dad and my grandparents. I’m very close to them and I look up to them. I have a lot of admiration for what they’ve done in their lives and that has helped me in so many ways.”

5. What was most responsible for your breakthrough 50-goal season in 2001-2002?

“I think a big part of it, if I was to pick one thing, was confidence. Once things start rolling, you start believing in yourself and you realize it’s possible.”

6. How do you deal with the pressure of being a highly paid franchise-type player?

“As an athlete, there’s sports pressure. It’s why we play. It’s what we enjoy. It’s what I enjoy. To me, the more on the line, the better. The most exciting game and the most pressure-filled game I’ve played was that gold-medal game (Canada’s victory at the 2002 Olympics in which Iginla had two goals and one assist). It’s what makes the regular season and the playoff season more exciting than the preseason.”

7. What did you learn from watching Wayne Gretzky at Oiler games during your boyhood years in Edmonton?

“I looked up to him in the way he seemed to be enjoying the game. He’s obviously the best player that ever played. I admired the way he could make his teammates better and was able to win.”

8. What’s it like to walk into a store these days and see your picture on so many magazine covers?

“It’s different, that’s for sure. That’s cool. It’s a rush for sure. I’m comfortable with (the sudden celebrity status). It’s fun. But I don’t take it too seriously.”

9. What’s your most extravagant toy?

“I bought a Porsche in 1998. I’d always dreamed about Porsches and, when I was younger, I wanted to have one. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to have one.”

10. How important is money?

“It’s not the most important thing, for sure. I think there are some responsibilities that come with being able to sign a big contract, being in the NHL and being able to have great things. I’m able to help my family, being able to enjoy it with family and friends and also being a part of charities. I’m just very thankful for everything, you know.”

11. Are you investing in this bearish stock market?

“Sure, I am. I think there are good buying opportunities. I watch it like everybody else, but I have a long-time horizon and I think the buying opportunities are there.”

12. What’s your personal goal this season?

“I want to be a better player than I was last season. I want to get better in all areas. I want to score more goals and get more points. But team-wise, the pressure is on us to get into the playoffs.”

13. Is there a message you’d like to convey to the playoff-starved Flames fans?

“Well, they’ve been very patient with us and they’ve been very supportive. We really appreciate it and we look forward to having an exciting year together. It’s going to be fun for all of us. It’s been a building process, but we’re going to be in the playoffs and it’s going to be a good ride for all of us.”

14. Do you think that some media pay too much attention to the colour of your skin, or do you welcome the “black athlete” angle?

“I welcome it. When I was younger, I knew I was a minority hockey player and I knew there weren’t many (black players) in the NHL. The (black players such as Grant Fuhr) I was able to see in the NHL when I was a kid made me realize that it was possible. It’s certainly harder to be the first black NHL player (like Willie O’Ree) and it was important for me to see other (black players) when I was pursuing my dreams. Do I think too much is made of it? No.”

15. What’s the best advice you can offer youngsters who are tormented by racial slurs?

“I think it’s something that is definitely not right. I’d tell them to just keep going. All it is is other people’s ignorance, so just keep going, follow your dreams, work hard to reach your dreams and don’t worry too much about what other people are saying.”

16. What’s your proudest achievement?

“Making it to the NHL. It’s something I’d dreamed about since I was seven years old. Getting in my first NHL game (in 1996) was something I’ll remember forever. But winning the gold medal with Team Canada in the Olympics was my proudest achievement. I’ve never played in a more exciting and more intense game in my life. That’s something I’ll remember forever.”

17. One celebrity you’d walk over hot coals in bare feet to have a beer with?

“Probably Will Smith. He’s done everything, from music to acting to big movies. I like what he has achieved, and he seems to have a lot of fun with whatever he does. I’d love to sit down with him for a drink.”

18. What’s your most important goal beyond hockey?

“To be happy. I don’t have any business plans or anything. But one day I’d like to be married (he plans to marry junior-high sweetheart Kara Kirkland in the spring) and have kids and help them out. And, well, just to be happy.”

19. Do you have any business aspirations?

“I do. That prospect intrigues me, but right now, with hockey, I’m just concentrating on my career, because a career is so short. I’m not sure what I’ll do.”

20. Are you interested in endorsements right now?

“Endorsements are certainly a part of the business of hockey and we’d like to get them, especially if it’s with companies that are very respectable. If there are some good opportunities, I’d definitely love to be involved with something like that.”


IN PROFILE: Jerome Iginla
* Title: Right winger, Calgary Flames.
* Born/raised/age: Edmonton, 25.
* Education: Grade 12.
* Career: Iginla has spent his entire six-year NHL career with the Calgary Flames, which acquired him in a trade from the Dallas Stars with Corey Millen for Joe Nieuwendyk.
* Dollars: Iginla recently signed a two-year, $13-million US contract.
* Accolades: Iginla burst into prominence last season with his first 50-goal season and a banner year that brought numerous awards, including the Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals, the Art Ross Trophy for most points and the Lester B. Pearson Trophy as the most valuable player as voted on by the National Hockey League Players Association. He sparked Canada to its Olympic gold-medal victory. He’s also won the Flames’ Scurfield Humanitarian Award for the past two seasons.
* Soaring stock: Iginla has boosted his goal production for four consecutive seasons at an average rate of 48.5 per cent per season. He has averaged 29 goals per season.
* Boyhood idol: Wayne Gretzky.

THE COMPANY: Calgary Flames
* Brass: Ken King, president/CEO; Craig Button, general manager/vice-president.
* Ownership: The group is comprised of Calgary entrepreneurs Harley Hotchkiss, Murray Edwards, Alvin Libin, Allan Markin, Bud McCaig, Byron Seaman and Daryl (Doc) Seaman.
* Arena: Pengrowth Saddledome (capacity, 17,000).
* Web site: www.calgaryflames.com
* Phone: 403-777-4646.
* Tickets: 403-777-0000 (www.ticketmaster.ca).
* Address: Box 1540 Station M, Calgary, AB, T2P 3B9.