There might not be a more enigmatic story in the Chicago Blackhawks’ world, or the NHL world at large, than what former Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has been going through since he stopped playing hockey. Now it seems that Toews is looking to get back on the ice and resume his playing career.
Toews’ last NHL game was on April 13, 2023 in an overtime loss to the Flyers at the United Center – a game in which he scored his 372nd NHL goal and nearly had the game-winner in overtime.
Since then, he has been seen on his Instagram page surfing, attending Burning Man, and going to India as part of his health journey, going through Panchakarma and Ayurveda treatments. It appeared as if his hockey life was behind him.
In a wide-ranging interview with GQ magazine last week, where Toews went into detail about his health journey dealing with CIRS (Chronic Immune Response Syndrome), long-COVID, as well as digestive and immune issues dating back to 2009, he concluded with a wink and a nod that his NHL playing career might not be as in the rearview mirror as his Instagram posts may have suggested.
“I’ve talked to a lot of the guys that are done, and a lot of them will say that desire to be on the ice competing and to be in the locker room with the guys never goes away,” Toews said in the GQ interview. “I think there’s a big part of me that really wants to give it my all, to get back on the ice and see where it takes me…There’s never any guarantees in life, but I’m going to give it my best shot.”
Following the GQ interview, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that Toews is back on the ice, back to his previous playing weight, and teams have expressed interest in Toews making a comeback. Seravalli pointed to three teams that have interest in the former Blackhawks Captain: Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Colorado Avalanche.
While a return for Toews would be an incredible story given his health conditions and struggles in recent years, there is still risk with a contending team wanting to bring Toews in this season. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on the latest “32 Thoughts” podcast, if a player wanted to be eligible to play for a team this season and in the playoffs, they would have to be on the roster before the March 7th trade deadline and would have to go through the waivers process.
All that still remains to be seen, but if Toews is feeling healthy again and wants to make the effort to come back to the NHL and write his own final chapter in his career, all the power and best wishes to him.
