Jarome Iginla says he is battling neurological health issues in retirement
Jarome Iginla was extremely durable through his 1,554 NHL regular-season games, but now finds himself battling health issues in retirement, revealing his current battle in an interview with Sportsnet’s Eric Francis.
“Unfortunately, I have been battling some health issues,” he said, having turned 49 years old in July. “Some neurological issues. I’m not entirely sure what it is, it may be from metal toxins from reaction to the cobalt hip.”
Concerns surfaced in the wider hockey community last week after a recent clip from Hometown Giants, the new Amazon Prime TV series following the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, featured him speaking with a noticeably weaker voice than he had during his playing days.
Iginla had hip replacement surgery earlier in retirement after sustaining plenty of impact in his NHL career, and medications that followed the complications of the surgery have impacted his energy, weight and speech, according to Sportsnet’s report.
In some hip implants, metal components can release metal elements over time, which can cause issues when they impact the bloodstream. Iginla also had high mercury levels and admitted to Francis that he and doctors are trying to get that down while figuring out whether it is related to the cobalt poisoning.
“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.”
Through his NHL career, Iginla posted 625 goals and 1,300 points and is the Calgary Flames’ all-time leader in games played, goals and points with 525 goals and 1,095 points in 1,219 games, before later career stops with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and L.A. Kings prior to his retirement after the 2017-18 season.
Since retiring, he has largely stayed out of the spotlight, while being a father and coach to his children, Tij and Jade, who have gone on to play professionally with the Utah Mammoth and PWHL Hamilton organizations, while his youngest son, Joe Iginla, was selected by the Flames in the 2026 NHL Draft.
