Former Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews hasn’t suited up for an NHL game in two years, but he is aiming to make a comeback to the league.
His agent Pat Brisson told multiple media outlets, including the Associated Press and ESPN, that Toews is aiming to come back to the NHL at the age of 37.
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WATCH HEREToews has not played for an NHL team since his run with the Blackhawks ended at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. In recent years, he has been diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). He has tried a number of therapies to help combat the ailment, including an “Ayurvedic Detox” that he received in India last year, a process he documented on his Instagram page.
“It’s too long a story to share all of the details here, but it’s been almost five years of searching for a way to heal the inflammatory and immune system issues that took me out of hockey,” he said in the post. “The wisdom of Ayurveda has taught me that everything I experience, I’m responsible for.”
In addition to CIRS, Toews also revealed that he had been dealing with the effects of long-COVID, having missed two full NHL seasons due to the ailments.
Toews has not played in the NHL since the 2022-23 season, spending all 15 seasons of his career with the Blackhawks. In 1,067 career regular season games, Toews racked up 372 goals and 511 assists, and captained the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup championships in six seasons.
He won the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward in the 2012-13 season, and was a finalist for the award on two other occasions.
NHL
Toews is one of eight players to have appeared in 1,000 games for the Blackhawks, ranking fifth all-time. He ranks sixth on the team’s all-time goal scoring list, and eighth in assists.
In addition to his play with the Blackhawks, Toews also helped Canada win back-to-back gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics.
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SIGN UP Since Toews is not under contract, he can speak to any of the 32 NHL teams immediately, with free agency set to open on July 1.
