Jarome Iginla and the Top 10 Active NHL Players Loyal to One Franchise

Can you name the top 10 players who have been loyal to their clubs for their entire career? I came up with about half before I had to look it up.

In today's salary cap marketplace, staying with one team for the duration of a career is on the verge of extinction. It has already gone the way of the dodo in the other major sports (MLB, NFL, NBA).

The NHL has only had a salary cap for five years, but we are just now seeing the full extent of the problems it can cause.

Can you play hockey? Maybe you can help NJ fill a full roster and lace 'em up.

Free agency might be the new name of the game, but let's take a look at 10 players who just might retire with their current teams.

10. Milan Hejduk: 11 Seasons

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9 Jun 2001: Milan Hejduk #23 of the Colorado Avalanche lights up a stogie with his wife at his side after Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche won 3-1 to take the Stanley Cup from the New Jersey Devils.

As you can see from this picture, Milan Hejduk enjoyed the ultimate success very early in his career.

Hejduk is only one of two players left over from their Stanley Cup days. Adam Foote is the other, but he did a pit stop in Columbus before returning to Colorado.

9. Chris Phillips: 12 Seasons

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WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 29: Chris Phillips #4 of the Ottawa Senators looks on during warmups before the game against the Washington Capitals at the MCI Center on November 29, 2002 in Washington, DC. The Senators defeated the Capitals 6-2. (Photo by Mitch

If you tried to name the list before you started the slideshow, did you come up with Chris Phillips? I know I didn't, but sure enough he makes it at No. 9 with 12 NHL seasons under his belt.

There are a few reasons he is off people's radar. The Senators haven't won a Cup in his 12 years. They do not receive a lot of national coverage in Canada, let alone the United States. He was never in the top 10 at his position.

Nevertheless, he's been solid enough for the Senators to keep him for over a decade.

8. Patrick Marleau: 12 Seasons

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23 Dec 2000: Patrick Marleau #14 of the San Jose Sharks moves on the ice during the game against the Buffalo Sabres during the game at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres defeated the Sharks 5-2.Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart /Allsport

Patrick Marleau is another player I had a tough time coming up with. The reason? He is only 31 and already entering his 13th NHL season.

He just signed an extension this past summer, so there is a good chance he could retire with the Sharks, but if players like Mike Modano are going to new clubs at the end of their careers, so could anybody.

7. Jarome Iginla: 13 Seasons

When it comes to players sticking with one team their whole career, Jarome Iginla comes to mind fairly quickly. When you are a top offensive player for as long as he has been, it's little wonder why he has become a symbol of loyalty in the NHL.

There have been times during his career that the possibility of moving on has been breached, but at the end of the day he has decided to stick with the team that he started with. Flames fans are forever grateful.

6. Tomas Holmstrom: 13 Seasons

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19 Jan 1999: Tomas Holmstrom #96 of the Detroit Red Wings in action during the game against the Calgary Flames at the Canadian Airlines Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Flames defeated the Red Wings 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Ian Tomlinson /Allspo

Tomas Holmstrom is another player that has never been near the top of the league at his position, but he has been a rock-solid mainstay for the Detroit Red Wings.

This is an organization that has been loyal to many players over the years and believes in stability. Holmstrom has played a key role for the Wings over the years and was a key contributor to many Stanley Cup runs.

Some fans might be willing to part ways with guys like him soon, but it's hard to imagine him in another uniform.

5. Patrik Elias: 14 Seasons

Many people thought Patrik Elias was nearing the twilight of his career, but if you watch a New Jersey Devils game you'll realize that this guy still has game after all these years.

The Devils might have broken their mold by bringing in a guy like Ilya Kovalchuk, but most people believe this was more of an owner's decision than a managerial one.

Bringing back Jason Arnott in the offseason is more in line with how they do things, but Elias is one of the two remaining Devils left over from those great defensive teams of the 1990s.

4. Shane Doan: 14 Seasons

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MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 23: Western Conference All-Star Shane Doan of the Phoenix Coyotes poses for a portrait during the 2009 NHL Live Western/Eastern Conference All-Stars Media Availability at the Queen Elizabeth Fairmont Hotel on January 23, 2009 in Mo

Some might have a double take when they see Shane Doan on this list, but he is still playing for the same franchise that drafted him. They might have moved to a different city with a different jersey, but it wasn't his decision to move.

Despite his recent suspension, Doan is one of the most respected hockey players in the league both on and off the ice, and there are still many fans in Winnipeg who have him as their favorite player.

3. Daniel Alfredsson: 14 Seasons

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3 Apr 1998: Right wing Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators in action during a game against the New Jersey Devils at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Senators defeated the Devils 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Ezra C. Shaw

Daniel Alfredsson comes in at No. 3 on the list and recently celebrated his 1,000th point. Every single one of them came with the Senators, as he has also logged over 1,000 games with the club.

He has a much higher profile than his longtime teammate Chris Phillips because of his offensive savvy, but both have played over a dozen NHL seasons in Ottawa.

Alfie is still putting up the points, but at 37 his career is winding down. I'd be shocked if he didn't retire with this jersey, and when he does he'll go down as one of the all-time greats in Canada's capital.

2. Martin Brodeur: 17 Seasons

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1993-94: NEW JERSEY GOALKEEPER MARTIN BRODEUR DURING THE DEVILS GAME VERSUS THE MONTREAL CANADIENS AT THE FORUM IN MONTREAL, CANADA. Mandatory Credit: Robert Laberge/ALLSPORT

Speaking of all-time greats, coming in at the runner-up spot is Martin Brodeur. He might go down as one of the greatest goalies of all time, and he has done it all for the New Jersey Devils.

I was a Patrick Roy fan growing up, so that is a debate for another day, but there is no denying what he has accomplished in this league. The goalie position is the most important one on the ice night in and night out, so it's a testament to him that he's remained on top for all these years.

There is only one other player who has been with the same team longer.

1. Nicklas Lidstrom: 18 Seasons

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Defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings looks on during a game against the Buffalo Sabres at Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres won the game, 2-1.

Topping the list is the ageless wonder Nicklas Lidstrom. Even at the ripe old age of 41 he is still one of the best defensemen in the league.

He has been with the Red Wings for so long now that he is easily alongside Steve Yzerman as one of the faces of Detroit. He immediately comes to mind when someone talks about this team, and it will be a strange day when he decides to call it quits.

He has been the cornerstone of the Wings for so long that it would be blasphemy to imagine him in another jersey. Think about him coming out of the tunnel in a Columbus Blue Jackets jersey. There is a reason why the human brain represses some thoughts, and that is one of them.

After he is officially done, we can give him the loyalty award to add to his jam-packed trophy case.