Jarome Iginla traded to Penguins, not Bruins

According to Chiarelli, Flames general manager Jay Feaster called him on Wednesday and told him at noon that they had a done deal. Due to the magnitude of the trade and the importance of Iginla to the Flames organization, Feaster explained that they were going to give Iginla some space to deal with the situation.

After a few hours without contact, Chiarelli called Feaster at 5 p.m. ET and was unable to get into contact with the manager. Despite the lack of contact, both teams continued with making changes to their roster; the Flames scratched Iginla and the Bruins scratched Khokhlachev and Bartkowski.

Iginla stated that general manager Jay Feaster came to him about a month ago to gauge his interest in potentially being traded if the team was not in playoff contention near the trade deadline. Stating that he was not offended by the concept, Iginla and his agent Don Meehan worked closely with Feaster in order to identify potential teams of interest.

Once Iginla isolated a list of teams he would be willing to go to, Feaster went to work on finding a deal. According to Iginla, the goal of both sides was to find a mutually beneficial offer that allowed the player to go to a team of his choosing and the organization to receive a quality return.

There were times on Wednesday where it appeared as though the Penguins would not be getting Iginla. The deal ultimately came together later in the night when Feaster called. According to Feaster’s press conference, it appears as though the Flames were more interested in the Bruins’ offer. However, Iginla had the final decision on the deal given the no-trade clause in his contract and expressed that he wanted to play for the Penguins.

Shero stated that he is unaware of when Iginla will be joining the team, as he needs to complete the immigration process.

Most of the East Coast (including myself!) went to bed thinking Jarome Iginla was heading to the Boston Bruins, but whether you’re waking up at your normal hour this Thursday to learn the news, or you were jolted awake by a phone call from a friend, or you stayed up to watch it unfold on the Internet, you’re just as shocked as the rest of us:

Nope, he’s going to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ray Shero has done it again. From one Eastern contender to the other. Let’s check in with how Bruins fans are handling the news:

(On a side note, how typical would it have been for Calgary to leave Iginla in the lineup, then watch in horror as he broke his hand in a fight or something?)

Instead, Iginla is heading to a team many believe is the Bruins’ main competition for the Prince of Wales Trophy That No One Will Want To Touch. He’s going to Pittsburgh.

Iginla is in the final year of his five-year contract and comes with a cap hit of $7 million this year.

It was reported that Iginla had left the Saddledome before the Flames’ game against the Avs and would not return. And as we all waited for the eventual breaking news, fans started sharing their favorite Iginla moments on Twitter.

Iginla is in the final year of his five-year contract and comes with a cap hit of $7 million this year. According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the first round pick that the Flames acquired is conditional: if Iginla re-signs with Boston, then the Flames receive Boston’s first-round pick.

These trade winds were swirling for hours leading up to the official announcement, and apparently the two teams have been discussing the trade for the past few days. It was reported that Iginla had left the Saddledome and would not return. And as we all waited for the eventual breaking news, fans started sharing their favorite Iginla moments on Twitter.