Blackhawks captain comments on playing future amid battle with long COVID

It was suggested last month that Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews was leaning toward retirement as he continues to battle lingering symptoms of long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome. However, the veteran told Mark Lazerus of The Athletic (subscription link) that he remains unsure of his playing future at this point:

"Right now, you ask me that question and the honest answer is, I got no idea. No idea whether I return to play for the Blackhawks next year, or play for another team, or I decide to move on to other things."

The 34-year-old was able to return to the lineup last Saturday after missing more than two months due to the symptoms, which took away any possibility of him being moved at the trade deadline.

To his credit, Toews has had a decent season given the circumstances as he has 14 goals and 16 assists in 49 games so far. While those numbers are certainly below his career averages, they’re still pretty strong for a player on a bad team playing through lingering challenges.

But the key word here for Toews is lingering. These symptoms cost him all of 2020-21 and had him at far from his best last season. The fact they continue to exist in 2023 suggests this will continue to be a challenge for him; he acknowledged that he hasn’t truly been 100% healthy since 2020. Knowing that, is it worth trying to carry on? That’s the decision he’ll be weighing over the next little while.

"But at this point, I’ve realized there’s no point in continuing to stomach this struggle. So if it’s not a hell yeah, then it’s a hell no.  There’s more to life than hockey, so it’s a weighing of my options and what feels right,” he said. “All these years, hockey’s been the One Thing. There hasn’t been much else in my life. And part of me is seeking some balance. So I guess we’ll see."

Toews, a 15-year veteran, has spent the entirety of his career with Chicago after being the third overall selection back in 2006 and ranks fifth in games played and sixth in points. It’ll take a little time before he decides if he tries to move up higher on those leaderboards or if the time is right to hang up his skates.