3-time Cup winner looking to return to NHL after two years out

Don’t call it a comeback! Three-time Stanley Cup winner Jonathan Toews, 37, has not played in the NHL since 2023, but he’s reportedly interested in returning to the league as soon as the 2025-26 season.

Just two months after Toews had told The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus that he was not done with hockey, it appears his return may be sooner than expected. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Toews informed his agent, Pat Brisson, that he’s ‘100% committed’ to returning to the NHL.

LeBrun also says that Brisson informed him that he will be taking calls from NHL teams regarding Toews’ future before the start of the NHL free agency period on July 1. Toews has also reportedly been working out for several months now in an effort to fuel his return.

When did Toews last play?

Toews’ last game came on April 13, 2023 against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Blackhawks lost 5-4 in overtime, but Toews did tally a goal in the contest.

During his final season, Toews put up 15 goals and 16 assists across 53 games. Toews missed significant time that season, failing to participate in any Blackhawks’ games in February or March 2023, due to a long COVID-related illness.

Why did Toews step away originally?

Following the 2023 season, Toews announced on Instagram that he would be taking an indefinite break from professional hockey due to health concerns. Toews had struggled with COVID for most of his career post-2020. He missed the entirety of the shortened 2020-21 campaign due to the illness, and issues sustained through 2023. Toews also revealed he’d received a diagnosis of CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) at the tail end of the 2021 season.