Jonathan Toews takes time off from hockey in 2023-24, not retirement: Can he still play in the NHL?

Former Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is taking time off from hockey in the 2023-24 season but is not retiring, he said in a social media post Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Toews spent the last 15 seasons with the Blackhawks. He served as the captain of the Blackhawks from 2008 to 2023.
  • The 35-year-old has recorded 372 goals and 511 assists through 1,067 career NHL games.
  • Toews played in just 53 games in 2022-23. He was out for several weeks while he recovered from long-term COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome. The Blackhawks said they will not re-sign Toews after the season because his contract has expired.

The Athleticquick analysis:

Will Toews still play in the NHL?

Absolutely. Even at age 35, despite his two-way game in sharp decline, and despite all his health issues, he could be an excellent bottom-six center for an opposing team, a guy who can play 15 minutes every night. and either kill penalties or play under the power play (probably not both, though). Yes, he’s a shell of the player he once was, but he had a respectable 15 goals and 31 points in 53 games last season, often playing alongside talent at the AHL level. And no matter how much he does, you can bet there are general managers and coaches around the league who would love to have Toews’ leadership and experience in their locker rooms. Few players command as much respect within the league as Toews does.

But the question is not whether he can play, but whether he wants to play. Does he think his body can survive another full season, is he ready to take on a smaller role on the ice and in the room after being The Man in Chicago for the entirety of his career. Throughout his illness, Toews defiantly insisted he could be a great player again. He doesn’t want to be another man. So his heart – and his self-confidence – must be in it. As he told me in April, “If it’s not a hell of a yes, it’s a hell of a no.” — Laser

Why didn’t the Blackhawks re-sign him?

If the Blackhawks had told Toews they wanted him back and offered him a contract, I believe he would have signed it. But general manager Kyle Davidson wants to clear the deck for the next generation of Blackhawks — which now includes Connor Bedard, who would certainly benefit from teaching someone like Toews the ropes of becoming a Chicago icon — to form their own leadership group.

“It’s about giving this new wave the same opportunity that was given last season when they came into the NHL,” Davidson said. “It’s just a clean slate, an opportunity to grow and develop and work on leadership development on their own terms, instead of deferring and just leaving that to someone else. It’s forced some people to grow and experience things they wouldn’t have if Jonathan was in the room. — Laser

What Toews said

“I cannot deny my love for the game of hockey and still feel the drive to compete at the highest level,” Toews wrote.

Required reading

(Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images)