Jonathan Toews is ready to lace up his skates again.
The former Chicago Blackhawks captain has confirmed he’s “100% committed” to making an NHL comeback for the 2025-26 season, after nearly two years away from the game.
It’s been a tough road for the 37-year-old star. His battle with long COVID and chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) forced him to step away from hockey in April 2023.
“He’s determined to return,” said his agent Pat Brisson, who’s planning to field calls from interested NHL teams when free agency opens July 1.
Toews has spent the last several months working hard to get back into NHL shape. His potential return would be pretty amazing, but it’s not unheard of – just look at Gabriel Landeskog, who recently made it back to the Colorado Avalanche after missing three years due to knee problems.
For Chicago fans, Toews is basically hockey royalty. The Blackhawks picked him third overall in the 2006 draft, and he went on to become one of their greatest players ever.
His impact on the team was huge. In 2010, he led the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup in 47 years, earning playoff MVP honors along the way. That was just the beginning – he’d go on to win two more Cups with the team.
The health issues started hitting hard during the pandemic. Toews missed the entire 2020-21 season dealing with CIRS, and later found out he’d had COVID-19 during that time too. He tried coming back the next year, but long COVID symptoms kept getting in the way.
Beyond his NHL success, Toews has quite the trophy case. He’s a:
– Six-time NHL All-Star
– Selke Trophy winner (best defensive forward)
– Two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team Canada
Now, after taking time to focus on his health, Toews feels ready to write one more chapter in his impressive hockey story.
