Byron Ritchie scribbled a quick note on his phone and texted it to former Calgary Flames teammate Jarome Iginla.
Rich’s son Ryder was in a goal-scoring slump, and Rich asked Iginla if he could watch a few of his son’s shifts. “Just see if there’s anything different than what I’m seeing,” Byron asked.
One hockey dad asked another dad for advice, but these types of less personal conversations were actually common for Ritchie and Iginla. The two former NHL forwards played together in Calgary for two seasons nearly 20 years ago. Both have made their offseason homes in the Okanagan, a picturesque region in British Columbia’s interior popular with NHL players.
In August 2006, after their first year as teammates in Calgary, Ritchie’s wife Maria Johansson and Jarome’s wife Kara Iginla both had sons. Ryder was born on August 3rd. Tij Iginla arrived the very next day.
Now two 17-year-olds are top NHL prospects, heading into this weekend’s NHL Draft in Las Vegas and navigating the pressure of draft eligibility together at RINK Hockey Academy in Kelowna. Jarome Iginla coaches the academy’s U18 team, which includes his son Joe, who made his WHL debut at age 15 this season, and Byron Ritchie works with players at all levels as a skills development coach.
So when Iginla watched his rider change in late November, he had a simple suggestion: Turn off your brain.
“As someone who loves scoring goals and wants to score goals, when I’m not scoring goals I only think about that.” Ryder said. “‘Oh, I haven’t scored in six games.’ And ‘No, it’s already seven games.’
“So while I’m sitting at home eating dinner, I can’t stop thinking about achieving that goal.”
Iginla then called Ryder and told him to do something to take his mind off hockey. “Don’t think about the game,” he told him. “Read. Go see a movie. Just be a kid. Get away from it all for a while.’”
Although Iginla was a fearsome power forward during his playing days, he takes a patient and cautious approach to developing young players, including sons Joe and Tij and daughter Jade, who are all high-level hockey prospects.
“It’s hard to be in that game as a player,” Iginla says. “You want to work harder and work harder. Keep pushing and breaking through. But sometimes the best thing to do is find something else. Give your brain a break.”
Iginla and his family settled in Boston after his Hall of Fame career ended in 2017.
They have three young children, all of whom are aspiring athletes, and sports were a major factor in their decision. Boston had more options for high-level baseball and hockey along with easier travel. And as his kids grew more into hockey, Jarome found an outlet to help them adjust to life after the NHL.
“I hear that a lot from retired players, but it’s a big change to stop playing and everything that comes with it,” he says. “You have to be everywhere, enjoy the competition, enjoy the energy of the game, the wins and losses, and just be around the game. It was a big change in my first year, but being able to coach helped me a lot.”
Jade played prep hockey and eventually played at Shattuck St. Petersburg in Minnesota. While heading to St. Mary’s, Jarome became co-coach of Tij and Joe’s hockey team.
In the summer, Iginla will rent ice for his three children, Tij, pictured with his father, Joe, and Jade. (Courtesy of Jarome Iginla)
“It kept me busy because there was practice or a game every night, so I got to participate.” Iginra said. “I love the game, and it’s been great to be able to share it with my kids, but it’s also competitive hockey, so it gives me a chance to share it with other kids who want to get better and are into it. “
Eventually, the lure of returning to Western Canada became stronger. Jade was recruited to play Division I college hockey. His sons were serious about pursuing the NHL path, and Jarome wanted them to play in the Western Canada Hockey League.
“Our job as parents is to help them,” says Iginla. “But it’s also important to keep their options open for schooling. But I believe if they want it, they should work towards it and do their best.”
The Western Canadian academy system appealed to the Iginlas sisters because it gave aspiring athletes plenty of ice time and an educational aspect.
“So I talked to Byron and we took a chance,” says Iginla.
Working together with former NHL teammates came naturally.
“We go back 30 terrible years,” says Ritchie, referring to their time playing U17 hockey together.
“You always have that kind of relationship with your teammates. And you had kids a day apart, right? … We just kept in touch.”
The Iginlas enrolled all three of their children at RINK, with Jarome joining the academy as a youth coach and starting to work alongside his former teammate. Meanwhile, Tij joined the U18 team and played on the same line as Ryder.
“Byron and Jarome are very aligned with our efforts to develop modern hockey players,” said RINK Executive Director Mako Balkovec. “I think the fact that there are kids here too gives them a vested interest and that’s what brings some joy to working with the other players.
“Byron is very intense, and the type of player he was. He’s into it, very demanding. And it shows in the way his team plays. And for the kids, once they get past the idea of, ‘Wow, that’s Jarome Winn,’ he’s very invested in working with the young players. It’s an incredible opportunity.”
In the winter, especially when Iginla was still playing in Calgary, he would come home after games and water the backyard to keep the fields clean for his children.
“It was really peaceful,” he recalls. “When I come back at midnight and get off the road, the stars are falling and it’s so quiet outside. Then once you start watering it, you start taking pride in it. Make sure it’s not bumpy and the kids don’t complain. It was actually a good stress reliever.”
In the summer, and to this day, Jarome rents ice for himself and his three children. They run drills, do some technique work, and then play 2-on-2.
The team is always the same: Jarome and his youngest son Joe take on Jade and Tij.
“We always played two-on-two outside in the winter, and we didn’t have a goalie, so we had to go under the goal, and Jade and I were always the team to go up against Joe and Dad,” recalls Ty.
“Usually Jade and I win,” Tij added confidently. “Our record has been pretty good.”
Born one day apart in the summer of 2006, Tij and Ryder share a fast-paced and highly skilled playing style. (Courtesy of Jarome Iginla)
“For a long time, I could control who would win: I would work a little harder, I would work a little less, and the kids would get so upset that I would share the victory with the people around me,” says Iginra.
“And then… Jade and Tizzy started getting better. Towards the end, Tizzy was 14 and Jade was 16 and I couldn’t control it anymore. I wasn’t good in tight spaces anymore. People were like, ‘What do you mean, you can’t beat them?’ Well, I couldn’t bodycheck them! And Tizzy and Jade were so good in tight spaces.
“I started coming in at the end of the day and Joe was very upset that we hadn’t won in a while, and Kara, now my wife, was upset with me and said, ‘Why don’t you ever win one?’ And I had to tell her, ‘I’m trying!’”
What started as a pair of former NHL players and dedicated hockey dads coaching their own kids has grown into so much more.
Tij and Ryder share a high-octane pace and highly skilled play style. That’s one reason why Tij, who was ranked the No. 9 North American skater by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the draft, is considered a top-10 candidate. Ryder will likely hear his name called late in the first round or early in the second.
Tij says: “As you grow and get older, the coaches get a little stricter. But my father and Byron have a good understanding of development. You may make the odd mistake, but the important thing is to be quick when you do.
“That’s what my dad says. He looks at what’s changed in the game. He’s not stuck in the old ways. He’s always using his iPad to look at things, to look at new drills and techniques.”
It’s another trait the two dads share. The lively group chat with the RINK staff includes tons of clips from all levels of hockey, fluent and endless conversations about the evolution of the game, new drills, and the value of the latest trends in skill development.
For example, Byron honed his approach as a skills coach while talking to CAA colleague Jim Hughes.
In addition to his work at RINK, Byron Ritchie leads recruiting and player development in Western Canada for the CAA. (Provided by Byron Rich)
“I think there’s a lot of small-area games, not just 2-on-2 cross-ice, a lot of small-area games and competitive small-area games where guys have to turn their brains on to find open ice,” he said. “You put the net in weird places, do crazy stuff like that, play 3-on-2 and 4-on-3, and the offense is outnumbered. I think those adjustments help stimulate the brains of the experienced players and challenge them to make plays and find space.”
Ultimately, the impact of the Iginla-Ritchie partnership at RINK Hockey Academy extended beyond the development of their own sons. At this point, some of the most exciting young players on the continent include Gavin McKenna, who will be drafted No. 1 overall in 2026, and Wisconsin-bound offensive defenseman Chloe Primerano, the top women’s hockey prospect from Western Canada. Some are training at RINK. Billeting with the Ritchie family.
“He pushes me and I love it,” McKenna says of the relationship she’s built with Ritchie. “He was my agent and coach. I live here during the summer. “He’s been through it all himself, so he helped me understand how hard I had to work, how I should eat, and even how I should eat to get where I wanted to go.”
The draft is not only the culmination of a long-standing dream for top hockey players and their families, it also marks the beginning of a journey.
But for Ryder, Tij, and their father, relief will come with the start of a new chapter.
“There’s a lot of pressure during draft year, and I remember that well.” Jarom said. “It’s a unique thing when you’re drafted, because you’re constantly criticized and everyone’s watching and judging you. It’s part of the game, but I think everything gets magnified during draft year.
“Both Ryder and Tij did a great job, but it’s nice as a parent to know that they’re almost done.”
(Image: Dan Goldfarb / work out; Photo: Jonathan Kozub, Dale Preston / Getty Images)
