- Jarome Iginla says he has been battling neurological issues for more than a year
- The Flames legend believes a reaction to his cobalt hip may be the cause
- Read below for his full health update and what he said about recovering
Jarome Iginla is dealing with a serious health battle. The Flames legend opened up to Sportsnet’s Eric Francis about neurological problems he believes could be tied to his artificial hip.
“Unfortunately I have been battling some health issues,” the 49-year-old said from his home in Lake Country, B.C. “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 a few years ago. Complications followed, along with medications that have affected his energy, weight and speech.
Our own @GinoHard_ account broke down the update when it landed Tuesday afternoon:
Francis reported that Iginla also had high mercury levels and is working to bring them down. He is trying to find out whether that is connected to the cobalt reaction.
The Hall of Famer has spent well over a year getting tests and meeting with medical professionals. He asked for patience while he works through it.
“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.”
Fans started worrying this summer after a video of Iginla with his youngest son, Joe, made the rounds ahead of the NHL Draft. People noticed he looked noticeably slimmer and sounded different. The Flames took Joe 65th overall in June.
The worry started over the weekend, when a Flames fan account posted a clip from the docuseries and asked whether Iginla was okay:
Fans have also been asking how a cobalt implant could cause this. The FDA says metal ions like cobalt and chromium from some hip implants can enter the bloodstream, and that doctors can’t predict who will react, how or when. Iginla’s doctors haven’t pinned down a cause yet.
Iginla is still the face of the Flames. He holds the franchise record in games played (1,219), goals (525) and points (1,095), and he dragged Calgary to Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final. He went into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020 and returned to the organization in 2023 as a special advisor to general manager Craig Conroy.
Hockey runs deep in the family. Tij was the sixth overall pick of the Mammoth in 2024 and is pushing for an NHL spot, and daughter Jade was drafted by PWHL Hamilton this summer.
We at Gino Hard are wishing Iginla a full recovery.
