A Boston TV Station Unwittingly Interviewed NHL Legend Jarome Iginla About A Snowstorm

Athletes care about the weather, too, which is probably why Jarome Iginla got interviewed about a nor’easter by a Boston TV station on Saturday. Amazingly, though, the station didn’t seem to know who the NHL legend was until hockey fans started sharing the story on Twitter.

New England got its first true blast of winter weather on Saturday, and if you’re in local news you know that means a story about the weather that must include interviewing some commuters. Improbably, Iginla was interviewed by Boston 25 News for a story datelined in Lexington, MA. You can clearly see him interviewed on camera, instantly recognizable by pretty much any hockey fan who saw him play over the last two decades.

It’s difficult to explain how funny it is to see Iginla, a wildly popular and recognizable figure in Canada and the larger hockey world, be interviewed like any old person. It was probably a welcome change not to be recognized. If you, like the interviewer, don’t know who Iginla is he played 16 seasons for the Calgary Flames, leading them to the Stanley Cup Final in 2004. This is a guy who scored 52 goals in 2002 and helped Canada win gold twice at the Olympics just randomly chatting about a snowstorm and handing out winter driving tips.

“I like the snow, I like the winter, but not necessarily this,” said Jarome Iginla. “May be a little too much.”

Visibility was poor on the highways as heavy snow came down for a few hours. Getting around was a challenge, even for those who are used to this.

“Pretty tough, we’re from Canada, so it’s not too crazy,” Iginla said. “I mean we got some winter tires. Used to this growing up so, it’s not great, I’ll tell you, you get some tough stretches, but if you don’t go too fast it’s doable.”

What’s particularly funny about all this is that Iginla actually played for the Boston Bruins during the 2013-14 season, so it’s not like he’s an unknown stateside.

It’s just one of those things about humanity: not everyone knows everything, and even famous people can go unnoticed by the right typically dogged reporter. What’s even odder about this is that it’s not the first time a hockey player has gone unnoticed in a story about the weather. Here’s former all-world goaltender Roberto Luongo talking about how nice a day it is a few years ago.

It all made for a very fun Sunday for hockey fans, who are still very uncertain about whether there will be another NHL season amid a pandemic. At least we know Iginla is still out there, navigating a fairly mild New England winter storm safely.