Chicago Blackhawks legend Jonathan Toews resurfaces while on 'healing journey' abroad
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 15: Jonathan Toews #19 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates by hoisting the Stanley Cup after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 2-0 in Game Six to win the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Final at the United Center on June 15, 20
After the Chicago Blackhawks and all-time 'Hawks legend Jonathan Toews parted ways, Toews has seemingly disappeared from the public view.
Toews struggled with chronic inflammatory response syndrome that kept him off the ice in the pandemic-shortened 2020-2021 season. He also missed two months in his final season in Chicago.
After taking the 2023-2024 season off to focus on his health, Toews reappeared on social media with an update on his international whereabouts.
"As some of you may know, I’ve been on a bit of a healing journey," Toews wrote in the post. "I’ve had many ups and downs, brief moments of hope working with a whole bunch of different doctors and modalities, followed by doubting if things would ever improve. But I recently spent 5 weeks in India undergoing an Ayurvedic detox called a Panchakarma."
Toews was candid about his current status.
"I’m happy to say things are trending," Toews wrote.
Toews never officially retired from the NHL. He remains an unrestricted free agent.
Toews is an all-time Blackhawks legend. He paired with Patrick Kane to build an NHL dynasty in the salary cap era, which made dynasties difficult to achieve, winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
Toews had 883 points, 372 goals and 511 assists in 1,067 career games in Chicago. He was named the Blackhawks' captain on July 18, 2008, and held that title until he and the team parted ways.
Toews also won gold with Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and 2014 Sochi Olympics.
"It’s too long of a story to share all the details here, but it’s been almost (five) years of searching for a way to heal the inflammatory and immune system issues that took me out of hockey," Toews wrote in the post. "The wisdom of Ayurveda has taught me that everything I experience, I am responsible for. Not only did it teach me better diet choices specific to my body type, it has deepened my intuitive relationship with myself and the world around me."