Jarome Iginla Shares Health Update: His Career, Stats and Honors

Jarome Iginla says he is dealing with neurological health issues and is still working with doctors to understand their cause. The former Calgary Flames captain discussed his health in an interview with Sportsnet’s Eric Francis published Tuesday.

Iginla, 49, said a possible reaction involving his hip replacement could be a factor, but he did not announce a confirmed diagnosis. Francis reported that he has spent more than a year undergoing tests and consulting medical professionals. Iginla said he remains hopeful about recovering. The interview did not provide a recovery timetable.

A Career That Defined Calgary

The NHL’s career record shows the scale of Iginla’s playing career: 625 goals and 675 assists for 1,300 points in 1,554 regular-season games. His separate playoff record adds 37 goals and 31 assists for 68 points in 81 games.

Most of that production came in Calgary. Iginla recorded 525 goals, 570 assists and 1,095 points in 1,219 regular-season appearances for the Flames. Calgary retired his No. 12 on March 2, 2019.

Dallas drafted him 11th overall in 1995, then traded him to the Flames that December in the deal for Joe Nieuwendyk. Iginla made his NHL debut in the 1996 playoffs before producing 50 points in 82 games as a regular-season rookie in 1996–97.

He became Calgary’s captain in October 2003. That season, he helped lead the Flames to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to Tampa Bay in seven games. His 13 goals led all players in the 2004 playoffs; he finished the run with 22 points in 26 games.

Scoring Peaks and Staying Power

Iginla’s 2001–02 season brought 52 goals and 96 points. He won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal scorer, the Art Ross Trophy as its scoring champion and the Lester B. Pearson Award, now called the Ted Lindsay Award, as the players’ choice for most outstanding player.

He shared another Richard Trophy in 2003–04, scoring 41 goals. His highest points total came in 2007–08, when 50 goals and 48 assists produced 98 points. The two 50-goal seasons were part of a career that included 12 regular seasons with at least 30 goals.

After leaving Calgary, he reached 30 goals with Boston in 2013–14, then scored 59 goals over his three seasons in Colorado. His final NHL stop was Los Angeles, where an assist in his last game on April 9, 2017, brought him to exactly 1,300 points.

Honors in the NHL and With Canada

Iginla appeared in six NHL All-Star Games, separate from his three selections to the end-of-season First All-Star Team and one to the Second Team. The game appearances came in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2012.

With Canada, he won Olympic gold in 2002 and 2010. He scored twice in the 2002 gold-medal victory against the United States and provided the pass for Sidney Crosby’s overtime winner in the 2010 final. His international honors also include world junior gold in 1996, world championship gold in 1997 and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey title.

Leadership Beyond the Scoresheet

His community work had a direct connection to those goals. KidSport’s account of his support says Iginla pledged $1,000 per Flames goal in 2000, later increasing his contribution to $2,000 per goal to support the Calgary chapter and the national organization, helping children participate in sport.

The NHL recognized his leadership and humanitarian contributions with the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and NHL Foundation Player Award in 2004, followed by the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2009.

At Iginla’s 2018 retirement, former Flames teammate Martin Gelinas described his visits to schools, work with charities and small gestures toward individual fans. “What he did off the ice was exceptional,” Gelinas told NHL.com. His recollection connected Iginla’s public service awards with the attention he gave individual people.

Iginla retired in July 2018 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020. He returned to the Flames as a special adviser to general manager Craig Conroy in 2023.