Jarome Iginla joined some very elite company on Monday night by becoming the 19th member of the NHL's 600-goal club.

The veteran winger scored a power-play goal in the third period to help the the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.

It wasn't the prettiest goal, as Iginla sent a wrist shot toward the net that came off the skate of defenceman Jake Muzzin and bounced past goalie Jhonas Enroth.

Regardless of how it happened, the 38-year-old was clearly pleased. Teammates joined him in celebration near the glass and then the crowd also signaled its approval with a lengthy standing ovation.

"It's a little bit surreal," said Iginla. "When I started, I didn't think I was going to get to 600 or 500. You just play and you want to be in the league and you want to win, you want to be a part of the NHL.

"Each year goes by, you keep going, keep battling and time flies and stuff. ... It's pretty neat."

Iginla, a native of Edmonton, scored in his NHL debut with the Calgary Flames on Oct. 5, 1996.

He played more than 15 seasons with the franchise and served as captain from the 2003-04 season until he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013.

Iginla is the Flames' all-time leader in goals (525), points (1,095) and games played (1,219). He ranks second in assists, and helped Calgary advance to the Stanley Cup final in 2004, where the Flames fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games.

Iginla reached the 600-goal milestone in 1,432 games and is only one goal behind Jari Kurri, who sits in the 18th spot on the all-time scoring list.