Jarome Iginla Seeks Answers as He Works Through Neurological Symptoms
The Flames great says he’s dealing with neurological issues after hip replacement complications, but remains hopeful as doctors continue testing.
Jarome Iginla is still waiting for a clear diagnosis, more than a year into tests and consultations for health problems he says include neurological symptoms. The Hockey Hall of Famer, 49, told reporters from his home in Lake Country, B.C., that he’s hopeful he can recover fully, though the cause and best course of treatment remain uncertain.
“Unfortunately I have been battling some health issues,” Iginla said. “Some neurological issues. I’m not entirely sure what it is, it may be from metal toxins from reaction to the cobalt hip.”
Iginla had hip replacement surgery several years ago. He said complications followed and that medications have affected his energy, weight and speech. He has also had high mercury levels and is working to bring them down, while trying to learn whether they’re connected to what he suspects may be cobalt exposure.
Some artificial hip implants use cobalt-chromium components. Wear or corrosion can release metal ions and debris, which may enter the bloodstream and cause complications. Iginla has not said that this is a confirmed explanation for his symptoms; he is still working with medical professionals to establish what is happening.
“I need more time to figure it all out, but I’m still hopeful that I will recover fully,” he said. “Things are slowly getting under control, thanks be to God.”
A difficult change for Flames fans to see
Concern among Calgary supporters sharpened after a video with Iginla and his son Joe, filmed ahead of this summer’s NHL Draft, circulated recently. Some viewers noticed that Iginla looked slimmer and sounded different from the player they remembered. He has now offered a limited explanation: he is facing health problems, but he does not yet have a definitive answer.
That uncertainty lands heavily in Calgary because Iginla’s connection to the club was built over 16 seasons and more than a thousand games. A powerful right winger with a hard shot, he became the franchise’s standard for skill, toughness and leadership. He remains the Flames’ all-time leader in games played, goals and points, with 525 goals and 1,095 points across 1,219 games in Calgary.
His best-known run with the team came in the 2004 playoffs. Iginla helped lead Calgary to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, where the Flames fell to Tampa Bay. The club came within one win of the championship, and Iginla’s performance that spring remains central to his place in Calgary hockey history.
His achievements extended well beyond that postseason. Iginla scored 50 goals twice, made six NHL All-Star teams and won Olympic gold with Canada twice. At the 2010 Vancouver Games, he assisted Sidney Crosby’s overtime goal in the final. His international résumé also includes a World Championship, a World Cup of Hockey title and a World Junior Championship.
From the Flames’ captaincy to an advisory role
Before his NHL career, Iginla won two Memorial Cups with the Kamloops Blazers. Dallas selected him 11th overall in the 1995 NHL Draft. After leaving Calgary, he played for Pittsburgh, Boston, Colorado and Los Angeles before retiring in 2018. He entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.
In retirement, Iginla has kept a relatively low profile, spending time coaching and supporting his children’s hockey careers. Two of them, Tij and Jade, have turned professional. Joe was selected by the Flames this summer, extending the family’s connection to the organization his father helped define.
Iginla also returned to Calgary in 2023 as a special advisor to general manager Craig Conroy. The role has brought him back to watch the team and offer guidance, though he has generally kept his work away from the spotlight.
That privacy has made the recent video more striking for fans who have followed him since his playing days. For many, Iginla’s legacy is inseparable from the way he carried himself: a forceful presence on the ice who represented Calgary with pride and humility. His standing among Flames supporters is shared by few; Lanny McDonald is another name often placed alongside him.
For now, Iginla is asking for time while he and his doctors continue trying to identify the cause of his symptoms. “Still working through it, but I’m hopeful,” said the Edmonton native. The next milestone is a clearer understanding of his condition; until then, the encouragement he has offered is measured but real: he says things are slowly coming under control.
