The soon-to-be 37-year-old Toews, who suffered symptoms of long Covid, will attempt a comeback more than two years after his last NHL game.

Toews didn't provide a specific timeline on his recovery and potential comeback but the 2025-26 season appears to be the goal. TSN's NHL insider, Pierre LeBrun, reported in January that the Winnipeg Jets and Toews have demonstrated mutual interest, among other teams in the mix.

"I'm not satisfied the way things ended in Chicago," Toews told Mark Lazerus in comments published Monday in The Athletic. "It's not about proving anything. It's just that there's something left in the tank, and I want to explore that. I want to go have fun, have a blast, play with passion.

Jonathan Toews has been away from professional hockey for two seasons. The former Chicago Blackhawks captain, 36, last suited up in April 2023. On that same day, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson confirmed that he was set to hit free agency,

The Jonathan Toews era with the Chicago Blackhawks appears to be officially over. Toews reaffirmed to Mark Lazerus of The Athletic that he's not retired and that he's aiming at returning to the NHL ahead of next season.

The Chicago Blackhawks are entering a new era and that means bringing in a new crop of talent, something that general manager Kyle Davidson is trying his best to do. This meant parting ways with players such as Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Jonathan Toews, after two years of retirement, is eyeing an NHL return. His break due to chronic health issues was also a mental reset. Feeling better, Toews is training intensely for a 2025 comeback.

When former Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews began to make rumblings about a potential comeback to the National Hockey League after undergoing an unorthodox “healing” treatment, my first instinct was to be very skeptical.