"I'm looking forward to it but I don't know what to expect or how I'll handle my emotions. I'm obviously very excited but I think now that my kids are really into hockey and the NHL that it's going to be so neat to share it with my family. To have them there, and friends, alumni and of course with the fans will really make the day special."

"It's humbling, a huge honour, a thrill and to be honest, a little bit surreal," said Iginla. "I am extremely grateful to the Flames ownership and organization for bestowing this tribute on me and my family."

CALGARY - The Calgary Flames announced today that they will retire former Flames captain, Jarome Iginla's number 12 jersey on Saturday, March 2nd in a ceremony prior to their game versus the Minnesota Wild. Iginla announced his official retirement on July 30th, 2018 after playing 20 seasons in the National Hockey League.

"We are all so proud of Jarome, a gentleman and extraordinary player. On behalf of the Flames ownership and the organization, we congratulate Jarome on an amazing career," said CSEC Vice-Chairman & CEO Ken King.

"For 16 years Jarome was the centerpiece of our Flames culture. He set the standard and established a legacy that will be cherished for years to come. He conducted himself with grace, humility and dignity matched with fierceness and passion in his play".

"We are honoured to have his number twelve retired and proudly displayed in the Scotiabank Saddledome rafters to be celebrated with Flames fans for all-time."

Video: Iginla was truly one of a kind

The 18th captain in franchise history amassed 525 goals, 570 assists, and 1,095 points in 1,219 games as a member of the Flames while establishing himself as one of the best power forwards of his generation. Iginla reached the 30-goal mark 11 times - four of those surpassing 40 goals and twice reaching 50 while wearing the flaming 'C'.

Drafted 11th overall in the 1995 NHL Draft by the Dallas Stars, Iginla was acquired by the Flames on December 20, 1995, along with Corey Millen in exchange for Joe Nieuwendyk. He signed his first professional contract with the Calgary Flames in 1996 after his junior season in Kamloops came to an end. He later made his NHL debut in the 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs where he appeared in two games in the Flames series against the Chicago Blackhawks. In his first game, Iginla assisted on a Theoren Fleury goal to record his first NHL point. Iginla scored his first NHL goal in the second game.

The St. Albert, AB native played in his first full NHL season with the Flames in 1996-97, scoring a goal in his first regular season game on October 5, 1996. Iginla went on to earn a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team and finished as the runner-up for the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year after leading all first-year players in scoring with 50 points.

The six-foot-one, 210-pound forward enjoyed one of his finest seasons in 2001-02 by winning his first Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for leading the league with a career-high 52 goals, while his 96 points that season also led all scorers for him to capture the Art Ross Trophy. Iginla's play also earned him the recognition of his peers as the Ted Lindsay recipient (known then as the Lester B. Pearson Award) for being voted the season's most outstanding player.

In 2003-04, Iginla led Calgary to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in his first year of captaincy, posting 22 points (13-9-22) over 26 postseason games while leading all playoff scorers in goals to further cement his status as a prolific goal scorer. He closed out 2003-04 with his second Maurice "Rocket" Richard trophy as the league's leading goal scorer with 41 goals and led the way off the ice as a humanitarian while also winning the NHL Foundation Player Award and the King Clancy Memorial Award.

Iginla was a six-time NHL All-Star (2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2012) in Calgary. He was also named to the NHL First All-Star Team three times (2002, 2008, 2009). Jarome leads the franchise in games played (1219), goals (525), points (1095), even strength goals (351), power play goals (161), and game-winning-goals (83). Iginla stands second in Calgary Flames history in assists (570) and is third in franchise history in short-handed goals (13) and hat tricks (12).

Video: Tribute to the great No. 12

After nearly 16 seasons in his home province, the Flames traded Iginla to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 28, 2013. Jarome also suited up for the Boston Bruins in 2013, the Colorado Avalanche in 2014, and the Los Angeles Kings in 2016-17 marking his last season in the NHL. Iginla's final game saw him record his 1,300th point of his career with an assist. Iginla finished his career with 625 goals, 675 assists for 1,300 points in 1,554 games.

Iginla finished his career ranked 16th all-time in games played (1,554), tied for 15th in goals in NHL history with his 625, and ranks 9th all-time in game-winning-goals with 101. His 625 goals are also the most in the NHL since the start of his first season, 1996-97 and is one of 21 players in NHL history to have 500+ goals with a single franchise.

Internationally, Iginla represented Canada three times at the Olympic level and won two gold medals (2002, 2010). He earned the primary assist on Sidney Crosby's overtime game-winning-goal in 2010, while he scored three points (2-1-3) in the 2002 final. Iginla also scored three points in six games to help Canada win the 2004 World Cup of Hockey championship.