Blackhawks release statement from Jonathan Toews

On Sunday afternoon, the Chicago Blackhawks released the following statement from captain Jonathan Toews:

First of all, thank you to the fans and all those who have shown concern about my absence. I’m still dealing with the symptoms of Long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome.

It has been really challenging to play through these symptoms. In the last few weeks, it has reached the point where I had no choice but to step back and concentrate on getting healthy. I am thankful for the patience and support of my teammates, the coaching staff, and the entire Blackhawks organization.

Toews has not played since Jan. 28 against the Edmonton Oilers, missing all six games since the team returned from the All-Star Break. As referenced in the statement, Toews missed the entire 2021 hockey season while dealing with an ailment that was called “Chronic Immune Response Syndrome,” which was detailed in a June 2021 video. It appears some of those symptoms are back again and Toews’ status as a hockey player is again taking a back seat until he can verify that he’s a healthy human being.

This statement came soon after a report from Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli that stated Toews won’t be traded by the March 3 deadline, citing health concerns:

This raises another round of questions related to Toews’ long-term hockey career, as he’s on a contract that expires at the end of this season. But, those can be answered later. Right now, the primary focus for Toews is to recover enough that he can play in the NHL again.

When that’ll happen, though, is anyone’s guess — even from Toews himself.

[UPDATE] GM Kyle Davidson met with the media on Sunday and provided a few other comments on Toews:

And, of course, the Patrick Kane trade talks came up as well: