Jade Iginla ’26 named ECAC Co-Rookie of year

BY DENNIS CAREY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Women’s ice hockey player Jade Iginla ’26 has established herself as one of the most impressive rising stars in the NCAA. In her first Bears season — which concluded on Feb. 18 — Jade Iginla led the team with 17 goals and 23 points, posting the top Bears scoring season since the 2006-07 season.

Last Thursday, her success was rewarded after being chosen as one of two Eastern College Athletic Conference Co-Rookies of the Year, joining two-time Olympian Tara Mounsey ’00 as one of just two players in program history to ever receive the honor. In their official announcement, the ECAC dubbed Jade Iginla a “freshman phenom.”

“Knowing what Jade contributed to the program’s success and growth this season made the honor something that I felt she very much deserved,” Head Coach Melanie Ruzzi wrote in an email to The Herald. “I am grateful to the league’s coaches for recognizing her impact amongst an incredibly strong class throughout the ECAC.”

But Jade Iginla is not the only member of her family to find success in the sport. She started playing hockey at age seven in her backyard with her father, National Hockey League Hall of Famer and three-time Olympian Jarome Iginla, as well as her two brothers Tij Iginla and Joe Iginla.

“It’s all I know,” Jade Iginla said of the sport. “(I) eat, breathe and sleep it. It’s definitely a lot of fun … I’m very fortunate to have my whole family involved.”

Jade Iginla has proven she can go far, joining the Bears with an already impressive playing resume. During her high school years, she

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