Forward says he will 'concentrate on getting healthy,' hasn't played since Jan. 28
By Tracey Myers
@Tramyers_NHL NHL.com Staff Writer
CHICAGO --Jonathan Toews is stepping away to deal with the effects of long COVID-19, but the Chicago Blackhawks hope their captain will be able to play again this season.
"We know this has been a real difficult period for him. We miss him being around the team, and we want to get him back around the team and on the ice," Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said Sunday. "But in the meantime, we're going to work with him and support him in whatever he needs to make sure he's feeling good and feeling strong and in a spot where he can come back on the ice. We'll take it day by day, but the hope is he can still play some games here down the stretch."
The 34-year-old forward has been out since the All-Star break with a non-COVID related illness. He has not played since a 7-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Jan. 28, and has not practiced with the Blackhawks since they returned from their bye week on Feb. 5.
"First of all, thank you to the fans and all those who have shown concern about my absence," Toews said in a statement. "I'm still dealing with the symptoms of long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome.
"It has been really challenging to play through these symptoms. In the last few weeks, it has reached the point where I had no choice but to step back and concentrate on getting healthy. I am thankful for the patience and support of my teammates, the coaching staff, and the entire Blackhawks organization."
Toews missed the entire 2020-21 season with what he called chronic immune response syndrome.
"He's talked about his past a little bit, what he's gone through. But, you know, I wasn't here and gone through that timeline with him," Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. "I think he was just at times this year feeling some fatigue and soreness and battling through it at the beginning of the year. It just got to the point where he felt like it was too much and affecting him physically. I think it's got to the point now where he's trying to figure that out."
Davidson said Toews' illness has "kind of been an ongoing thing."
"It started previous to the All-Star break," he said. "It's not something that just came up. We're kind of dealing with it alongside him for some time now."
Asked how this impacts Toews' status ahead of the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, which is at 3 p.m. ET on March 3, Davidson said, "We're not thinking about [the trade deadline]. We're trying to help him get back to full strength, and that's totally secondary."
Toews and Patrick Kane, who have been the subjects of much speculation regarding where they could go at the deadline, are each in the final season of an eight-year contract signed on July 9, 2014.
"It's definitely been interesting to kind of hear some rumors," Toews said on Jan. 27. "That stuff's always kind of funny and entertaining. I've never really been in this position in my career, so I'm obviously thankful for that. I think my motto has just been focus on today and keep my energy and my focus and my attention in this locker room and on my game. That isn't really changing. Obviously, people want to talk as we get closer to the deadline and stuff like that."
Toews and Kane won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2010, 2013 and 2015. They also played their 1,000th NHL game as teammates in a 7-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Dec. 18.
"Obviously, we're supporting him and what he has going on and hoping he gets better," Kane said. "There's definitely been flashes this year where he feels good and you can see it on the ice. Yeah, we're with him. We're supporting him and we let him know that, and hopefully he does what he has to do feel better and be able to play the way he wants."
Named Blackhawks captain July 18, 2008, Toews won the Conn Smythe Trophy voted as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2010, and the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2015. The No. 3 pick in the 2006 NHL Draft, Toews is third on Chicago with 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists) in 46 games this season, and has 880 points (371 goals, 509 assists) in 1,060 regular-season games.
The Blackhawks (18-32-5) are last in the Central Division.
