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This viral Jarome Iginla video exposed his health issues
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- This viral Jarome Iginla video exposed his health issues
This viral Jarome Iginla video exposed his health issues
For most of his career, Jarome Iginla was the definition of durability. Over 1,600 NHL games, broken bones, bruises, and the relentless grind of playoff hockey could never keep the Calgary Flames legend down for long. On Tuesday, Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla announced that he's been battling health issues, including neurological symptoms that may stem from metal toxins released by a reaction to his cobalt hip.
Iginla felt he needed to share that information with fans after a video clip that recently made the rounds online exposed that something was wrong.
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The footage, filmed ahead of this summer's NHL Draft and featuring Iginla alongside his youngest son, Joe, drew immediate attention when it surfaced. Viewers were struck by the Hall of Famer's noticeably thinner frame and a voice that sounded markedly different from the booming one they had grown accustomed to over two decades of watching him play. The clip quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of views, with fans offering everything from genuine concern to amateur diagnoses in the replies.
This is the video:
It led to Iginla addressing the speculation himself, via Sportsnet on Tuesday.
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Iginla underwent hip replacement surgery a few years ago, a consequence of the physical toll professional hockey exacted on his body. According to the report, complications arose afterward, and medications have affected his energy levels, weight, and speech. There are known concerns that cobalt-chromium components in certain artificial hip implants can release metal ions into the bloodstream, potentially causing serious side effects. He also reportedly had elevated mercury levels and has been working to bring those down while doctors try to determine whether the two issues are connected.
Iginla said he has spent more than a year undergoing tests and consulting with medical professionals in search of answers.
The news lands hard for a fanbase that watched Iginla carry the Flames for 16 seasons. He remains Calgary's all-time leader in games played, goals, and points, and his performance during the 2004 Stanley Cup Final run is etched permanently into the city's hockey identity. A two-time 50-goal scorer, six-time All-Star, and two-time Olympic gold medallist, Iginla was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.
Since retiring in 2018, he has largely stayed away from the spotlight, focusing on coaching his children. Two of them, Tij and Jade, have already turned professional, and Joe was selected by the Flames this summer, adding another chapter to the family's bond with the franchise.
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Iginla is asking for patience as he and his medical team work toward a diagnosis and a path forward. After everything he gave to the game, fans across the hockey world will be pulling for him in what he has called the most important fight of his life.
