Jonathan Toews bids farewell to Blackhawks, fans; not planning to retire just yet
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Four months after the Blackhawks announced they would not be bringing back team captain Jonathan Toews, the three-time Stanley Cup champion announced on Instagram that, while he's taking next season off from hockey, he's not yet retiring from the NHL.
"I'd like to announce that I am not fully retiring, but I am taking time away from the game again this season. I cannot deny my love for the game of hockey and still feel the passion for competing at my highest level," Toews wrote on Instagram. "However, these last few seasons have been very difficult considering my health challenges. My focus is to give myself the time and space to fully heal and enjoy life to the fullest once again."
Toews missed two months of the 2022-23 season with symptoms of long COVID-19 and chronic immune response syndrome, after missing the entire 2020-21 season due to those illnesses.
In April, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson announced before the season finale that the team would not be resigning Toews this offseason.
At the time, Toews said he had not yet made any decisions about his future, suggesting he could either try to sign with another team, or choose to retire.
Toews, 35, was the final Blackhawks player still on the roster from their last Stanley Cup championship in 2015, after Patrick Kane was traded to the Rangers at the end of February.
He has spent his entire stellar 16-year career with the Blackhawks, 15 of them as captain, making him the longest-tenured team captain in professional Chicago sports history.
Toews ranks 5th in franchise history in games played, 6th in career goals, 8th in career assists, 6th in career points, 7th in career power play goals, 8th in career short-handed goals, and 3rd in career game-winning goals.
But Toews has struggled in recent years, in large part due to his health, which caused him to miss the entire 2020-21 season with symptoms of Chronic Immune Response Syndrome, which caused his immune system to overreact to any form of stress.
While he seemed to be bouncing back this year, his health problems returned in January, causing him to miss two months before returning for the final seven games of the season.
As he's dealt with his struggles with long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome, Toews said he's met several people who have suffered from the same health problems "and other similar cases that are quite complex."
"I now recognize the importance of one day sharing the details of my health journey with you all," Toews wrote. "Thank you to all of you who have supported me and respected my privacy in the process."
In a separate Instagram post, Toews thanked Blackhawks fans, his teammates, and the front office for their support.
"It's hard to find words to describe the 16-year journey that has made this city my home," he wrote. "Aside from the 3 Stanley Cups, the parades, and the countless memories made with my teammates, what is still most special to me was feeling a true connection to the people of this city."
"To Blackhawks fans, it was surreal to witness and be a part of the revival of hockey in Chicago. There was nothing like the roar of the Madhouse when we scored a big goal to tie it or win it late in a game," Toews added.
Toews also thanked Blackhawks ownership, management, and coaches, and staff for the work they did behind the scenes "every day to help all of us achieve our dreams," as well as his teammates, who he called "lifelong friends and brothers."
"To all of you I say, THANK YOU. You made my time here in Chicago unforgettable," he wrote.
Toews helped lead the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup championships in six years from 2010 through 2015, but the team hasn't made it past the first round of the playoffs since their last title, and has missed the playoffs altogether five of the past seven years, including this season, when they've already been eliminated from postseason contention.
They are entering a new rebuilding phase highlighted by the signing of 18-year-old rookie Connor Bedard, the consensus No. 1 pick in this year's NHL Draft.