Utah Hockey Club makes Tij Iginla the 1st pick in franchise history, moves back to the 1st round

SALT LAKE CITY – “It’s Utah’s turn.”

That statement from Gary Bettman drew boos from the Sphere in Las Vegas (former Arizona fans? Las Vegas fans already see this as a rivalry). Back in Salt Lake City, however, fans roared when they saw their general manager Bill Armstrong stand up to hand over the team’s first draft pick.

“This is a historic pick,” Bettman said before giving team owners Ryan and Ashley Smith the floor to make their picks (they, too, were greeted with boos; Utah hasn’t played a game yet but already appears to have some enemies).

Tij Iginla is now a thing of the past.

The 17-year-old striker from British Columbia was the Utah Hockey Club’s first-ever draft pick when Utah drafted him No. 6 in the 2024 NHL Draft.

“It’s a surreal feeling,” Iginla told ESPN. “I don’t think I’ve fully processed it yet, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Iginla wasn’t Utah’s only first-round pick on Friday, however. Utah traded its Nos. 38 and 71 picks and a 2025 second-round pick back to Colorado for the No. 24 pick to acquire forward Cole Beaudoin.

Iginla scored 47 goals and 37 assists in the WHL last season. He scored eight goals during the Kelowna Rockets’ first-round run in the 2024 WHL playoffs, setting a franchise record for most goals in a playoff series.

He is a dynamic forward who can play on the wing or in the center. He is very quick and fights hard for the puck. He has proven to be a creative playmaker and natural goal scorer with a shoot-first mentality.

His father Jarome was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020 after a 20-year career. Jarome Iginla is the Flames’ all-time leading player in goals and points.

Beaudoin, meanwhile, scored 28 goals and 34 assists for the WHL’s Barrie Colts. The tall 18-year-old is known for his good offensive instincts and puck skills, and for using his physicality to generate scoring opportunities.

Like Iginla, Beaudoin is the son of a former NHL player. His father, Eric, was selected in the fourth round of the 1998 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning and played 53 games for the Florida Panthers.

This story will be updated.