Former Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews announced that he would take a break from the NHL to focus on his health entirely.
The 35-year-old said via Instagram that he is not fully retiring from the sport, that he cannot deny his love for the game of hockey, and he still feels the passion for competing at the highest level, but the last few seasons have been tough for him due to his health challenges.
The six-time NHL All-Star will now focus on giving himself the time and space to fully heal and enjoy life to the fullest once again.
Toews is currently an unrestricted free agent after the Blackhawks decided not to renew his contract at the end of the 2022-23 NHL season.
The 2010 Conn Smythe Trophy winner has been open with his battle with long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome (CIRS), which caused him to miss 29 of his team's 82 regular season games in 2022-23. He previously missed the entire 2020-21 season due to CIRS.
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Jonathan Toews is a three-time Stanley Cup winner
The center became one of the youngest team captains in NHL history when he assumed the role ahead of his sophomore season in July 2008. He remained team captain until his last game for the Blackhawks last April.
Toews has 372 goals and 511 assists throughout 1,067 games in the NHL, helping the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015.
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