25 years ago, Jarome Iginla became a Flame

It’s important to commemorate anniversaries of important occasions. For the Calgary Flames, today is a big one. 25 years ago today – Dec. 19, 1995 – the Flames acquired the best player that ever wore their jersey.

25 years ago today, Jarome Iginla was acquired by the Flames.

The swap broke down as follows: the Flames sent holdout forward Joe Nieuwendyk to Dallas for Iginla and forward Corey Millen.

Nieuwendyk, then 29, was in the midst of a holdout due to a contract impasse with then-general manager Al Coates. The Flames were also in the midst of (a) a gradual tear-down of the powerhouse 1989 Stanley Cup team and (b) weathering an economic storm, as the Canadian dollar had dropped from about…