Has Jonathan Toews played his last NHL game? According to rumours, he may have
Ladies and gentlemen, this could be a big one. I'd like to preface this article by stating that this is speculative and that the source of the information admittedly does not have any ties directly to Jonathan Toews and is going purely off of things that he had heard. That said, we'll get right into it.
Per Barstool Chief on the Redline Radio podcast, the Blackhawks captain may be contemplating retirement at the conclusion of his contract - possibly sooner.
Just one year after Toews was sidelined for a full season with chronic immune response syndrome (CIRS), he is now sidelined with a concussion and has found himself on the IR list, retroactive to January 26th. Toews has been on the ice multiple times in recent days, but as you can see, he doesn't appear to be moving too quickly. Now perhaps that's just due to the team's medical staff managing his workload and keeping things casual to see how he responds before ramping up the intensity, but after we just saw in Boston with Tuukka Rask attempting a comeback only to end up retiring young, I think it's fair to be at least mildly concerned that this might be it for Toews.
That said, Toews is still out there putting in the work, so even if it's something that he has contemplated, it certainly does not appear to be anything he has made a definitive decision on.
Head coach Derek King gave a brief update on Toews on Saturday, and while he was encouraged to see his captain out on the ice, he cautioned that there really is no timetable at this point and that the Hawks and Toews were taking things as they come on a day-to-day basis.
«It's just, how he feels and if he's feeling better. Obviously he's not 100 percent, so day by day. It's nice to see him on the ice.»
-Coach King on Jonathan Toews
Listen. Do I believe that Toews is going to step away from the game he loves at 33 years old? I don't. But with that said, Toews has made his money. He has won his championships. He doesn't owe the sport anything, and if he does decide to prioritize his health over everything else on the back-nine of his career, good for him. He's going to be a Hall-of-Famer by all appearances.
Would it suck to see him go? Of course. But is his long-term health more important? Absolutely. No matter what Toews decides to do, the city of Chicago will be forever grateful to their long-time captain. He brought them three championships and played the game he right way. Can't be mad at that.
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