March 2 morning skate quotes: Jarome Iginla

Jarome Iginla, on whether Darryl Sutter has changed from when he was coaching in Calgary:
When I played for him before and he was the GM there and everything, he’s personable but it’s game day, it’s business. You know what I mean? It’s business on game day and he’s very intense and I imagine it’ll probably be really similar from hearing over the years, talking to some guys who played here and no I don’t think he’s changed. I think he has his way that he does his things but when it’s game day it’s business and guys feed off of that I think.

Iginla, on what the Kings are looking for from him:
I think just to, honestly just to work hard, to go. Just to battle and just play hard. I think that’s the identity of their team and to come in and be a part of that. So far he just wants me to go play hard and gets me a great opportunity to play with Kopi and Gabby so that’s really exciting, too. Hopefully we can build some chemistry early and just getting going but yeah, I don’t think there’s any — he just wants me to play and play hard, I believe.

Iginla, on what he’s picked up about Kopitar after years of competing against him:
Yeah, well he’s a guy who can play all different ways. He has the finesse side, he can score, he’s big, he can play down low, he likes little passes, give-and-gos, which I like that idea. But also, when you’re playing with a centerman as good as he is in his own zone, you play less in your own zone and you get to go on offense a lot more. You know, playing against him for years and playing against centerman who play against him, he’s as hard as there is and he can frustrate guys. But as a winger, it’s really nice because he controls a lot of the play and you can just get in there with him and get out of your own zone and stuff like that and I like that idea. You don’t have to play so responsible, I guess that you don’t play as long in your own zone, hopefully you can be in the offensive zone a lot more.

Iginla, on any similarities between the Flames under Sutter and the Kings under Sutter:
Oh I think there’s similarities but I mean, they took it to another level. I mean, they’ve won championships and stuff and we were unable to do that but I think in what he would expect from his teams. I think you look all the way back, I think it’s pretty consistent. One thing though is right away, when I first got him, you hear a lot about the physical and the compete level and what he wants to bring but at the same time he’s very X’s and O’s and thinks it, too. There’s a strategy, it’s not just about only effort and grit. There’s a balance there and that’s one thing I noticed right when I first got him was — once he stopped the video and some guy ran over a guy in the video or something, and you think that’s why he stopped it but then he goes, ‘But the puck was right there, we could’ve been gone.’ You know what I mean? So there is a balance and he obviously has that understanding of you need the physical and you need the compete but you also need to have the puck and what you’re trying to do and stuff. So he’s still an X’s and O’s with that intensity.

Iginla, on what he’s taken away from his time in Colorado:
Yeah it unfortunately didn’t well go for us this year in Colorado, but it’s a great organization. I got to play with some great guys. You know, unfortunately we just missed the playoffs there a couple years but still a great experience and really met new guys and friends and played with some guys which are going to be great, great hockey players. And I’ve gotten to play with them while they’re young but also throughout the organization they treated me really well and I was thankful to get to come here and be right in the heart of a playoff race again.
and be right in the heart of a playoff race again.