Jarome Iginla reveals neurological health battle
TLDR: Flames legend Jarome Iginla told Sportsnet's Eric Francis he's battling neurological issues that may come from metal toxins linked to his cobalt hip, the first time he's talked about it publicly.
Iginla said it himself, and he kept it plain. He doesn't know exactly what's wrong yet, and he didn't pretend to.
“Unfortunately I have been battling some health issues. Some neurological issues. I’m not entirely sure what it is, it may be from metal toxins from reaction to the cobalt hip.” - Jarome Iginla on an ongoing health battle he spoke publicly about for the first time. My column⤵️
Here's the backstory. Iginla, now 49, had hip replacement surgery a few years ago and ran into complications after it. The medications he's taken since then have affected his energy, his weight and his speech. He has spent more than a year getting tested and seeing doctors, and there's still no diagnosis. He has not confirmed cobalt poisoning. The cobalt hip is a possibility he's looking into, not an answer.
People started worrying before this column came out. Iginla appeared in Hometown Giants, the docuseries about the WHL's Vancouver Giants and his youngest son Joe, and fans who watched it started asking about his health. Now we know what was going on, at least as much as he knows himself. He also gave people something to hold onto: he said he's still hopeful he'll recover fully and that things are slowly getting under control.
The reaction around the league came fast, and nobody was talking about his stats. They were talking about the guy. One writer who covered Iginla's single season in Boston said he became a leader in that room right away.
Prayers up for one of the truly good guys in the game. He played only one season in Boston but he immediately became a leader among leaders in that room.
That fits everything we know about Iginla. He's the Flames' all-time leader in games played, goals and points. He played 20 NHL seasons, retired in 2018 and went into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020. Ask anyone who's been around him, though, and the first thing they mention is that he's one of the nicest people the sport has ever had. Up in Edmonton, of all places, the response was the same.
Iginla is such a great guy. Hope things keep improving for him. Good read @EricFrancis.
Hockey is still very much a family thing for the Iginlas. His daughter Jade was drafted by PWHL Hamilton. Tij went 6th overall to the Utah Mammoth in 2024. Joe was drafted by the Flames in June, which means Calgary has another Iginla in its system right as the original goes public with the hardest fight of his life.
What happens next is mostly waiting. Iginla says he needs more time to figure it all out, and there's still no official diagnosis. Calgary, and the rest of hockey, is pulling for number 12.
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