Is Jonathan Toews retiring? Blackhawks center plays final home game ahead of looming free agency

Bryan Murphy

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Is Jonathan Toews retiring? Blackhawks center plays final home game ahead of looming free agency image

The final chapter of the Jonathan Toews era in Chicago ended on Thursday, as the longtime Blackhawks captain played in his final game with the organization.

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson announced in a statement that the club would not be re-signing Toews this offseason, making the contest against the Flyers not only the season finale for Chicago, but the last game with Toews wearing a Blackhawks uniform.

"I've had a number of conversations with Jonathan throughout the season about his future with the Blackhawks, and recently, we had the difficult conversation that we won't be re-signing him this offseason," Davidson said in the statement. "Tonight will be his final game as a Blackhawk, and it was very important to us to be able to provide the proper send off for Jonathan and our fans.

He has done so much for this organization, and no matter where he plays next, we're excited our fans get the chance to show Jonathan exactly how much he means to them

With the announcement, it allowed the Blackhawks and their fans to give Toews the proper send off he deserved. 

The captain delivered for the fans as well, securing his 15th goal of the season in his final game as a Blackhawk. 

Toews, 34, was selected No. 3 overall by the Blackhawks in 2006. During his 15-year career with Chicago, he brought the organization three Stanley Cups, winning it all in 2010, 2013 and 2015. A native of Winnipeg, Toews was named the 2010 Conn Smythe winner as playoff MVP and also earned the 2013 Selke Trophy. 

Due to lingering health issues, Toews missed extended time this season. The captain did not play at all in February or March of this season, returning in April to play in Chicago's final stretch of games. He ends this season with 15 goals and 31 points in 53 games. 

With his Blackhawks career over, and potentially his NHL career coming to an end, Toews goes down as one of the greatest Blackhawks of all time and is surely going to end up in the Hockey Hall of Fame. 

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Is Jonathan Toews retiring?

The organization stated on Thursday that the game against the Flyers would be the final game in Toews' career as a Blackhawk.

Toews is going to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, as his eight-year, $84 million contract he signed in 2015 is set to expire. Either he will sign with another team, or he likely will retire. 

In the days leading up to his return from his absence, Toews hinted at the possibility of retirement, stating that he wants to put his health first before anything else. 

"I feel like I’ve said it already, that I’ve gotten to the point where my health is more important," Toews said. "When you’re young and you’re playing for a Stanley Cup and everyone’s playing through something, that means something and it’s worthwhile. But I’m at that point where it feels like more damage is being done than is a good thing."

After the game, Toews did not say either way if he would be retiring, or if he's looking to sign with another team. A decision will come at some point this offseason. 

"The thought of playing for another team right now is so far in the back of my mind right now, especially after that moment," Toews said after his final Blackhawks game. "I always thought I’d retire a Blackhawk and part of me still believes in that, so we’ll see."

What health condition does Jonathan Toews have?

Toews has been dealing with two health issues: chronic immune response syndrome and long COVID. 

What is chronic immune response syndrome (CIRS)?

Chronic immune response syndrome is also referred to as chronic inflammatory response syndrome or CIRS.

According to the Virginia Center for Health and Wellness, CIRS is a "progressive, multi-system, multi-symptom illness characterized by exposure to biotoxins. The ongoing inflammation can affect virtually any organ system of the body and if left untreated becomes debilitating."

Toews first made the news of his illness public in the summer of 2021, after he missed the whole 2020-21 season. Dr. Greg Sharon of AMITA Health discussed the causes and effects of the disease and how it may have impacted Toews. 

"He was probably exposed to mold his whole life," Sharon said. "(And) genetically, the more athletic, the more flexible you are, the more likely you are to develop some of these immune reactions. That stress combined with lack of sleep can lead to mold sensitivity. When you overreact you get tired, fatigued, joint aches and pains, difficulty with your belly and interestingly, this affects your brain."

What is long COVID?

Long COVID is when people are still experiencing lingering effects from COVID-19. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it is a post-COVID-19 condition that can include many ongoing health problems for weeks, months or years.

Also referred to as post-COVID conditions, the ongoing symptoms are found more often in those with severe COVID-19 illness, which lines up with Toews' experience with COVID in February 2020. 

However, there are cases where someone with post-COVID conditions may not have tested positive for the virus, or not know they were infected. 

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.