Canada's Jarome Iginla, who made the match winning pass in over-time during the 2010 Olympic final, has retired at the age of 41 ©IIHF

Jarome Iginla, the Canadian ice hockey player who made the crucial pass for Canada's winning goal in the 2010 Olympic final in Vancouver, has officially retired from the sport aged 41.

The announcement from Iginla, who played the game for more than two decades, has come as little surprise as he made no appearances in the 2017-2018 season.

The over-time assist that gave Canada the Olympic gold against arch rivals the United States is the most memorable moment of his career, but Iginla also played in two other Winter Games, in 2002 and 2006.

In his first Olympics as a 24-year-old, Iginla scored twice and got an assist in the gold medal match, which that time around was also against the US.

Canada's 5-2 in that game in Salt Lake City gave them their first Olympic gold for 50 years.

Jarome Iginla was a key member of the Canadian ice hockey team that won gold on home soil at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics ©Getty Images
Jarome Iginla was a key member of the Canadian ice hockey team that won gold on home soil at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics ©Getty Images

Iginla's debut season in the National Hockey League came in the 1996-1997 season, when he scored 21 goals for the Calgary Flames to establish himself as one of the game's best young talents.

In the 2001-2002 season he upped that tally to 52 and was then named in the Canadian Olympic squad for the Salt Lake City Games.

He later won the 2004 World Championship and was named as Flames captain for the 2003-2004 season.

After 18 years in Calgary, Iginla then moved around the league with stints at Pittsburgh, Boston, Colorado and Los Angeles, never winning the Stanley Cup.