Blackhawks won’t re-sign Jonathan Toews, set finale as send-off

The Chicago Blackhawks say they will not re-sign Jonathan Toews and will use Thursday’s regular-season finale as a send-off for their longtime captain.

Toews rejoined the Blackhawks earlier this month following a long absence due to the effects of Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and long COVID. Prior to his return, he hinted that his NHL career could be winding down after 15 seasons but stopped short of saying he would retire.

“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,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a 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.”

The Blackhawks on Thursday are hosting the Philadelphia Flyers, whom they beat in 2010 for the Stanley Cup as Toews was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP.

Toews, whose eight-year, $84 million contract is expiring at the end of the season, has played in six games since rejoining the Blackhawks on April 1, tallying a pair of assists. He has 14 goals and 16 assists in 52 games this season.

After the Blackhawks drafted him with the third overall pick in 2006, Toews joined the team in 2007 and was a pillar of Stanley Cup championship clubs in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward in 2013.

In 1,066 regular-season games, Toews has 371 goals and 511 assists. In 139 playoff games, he posted 45 goals and 74 assists.

“He has done so much for his 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,” Davidson said.

Toews said in March that his long-term health and ability to lead a “normal life” is most important. He said he wants to go out on a positive note and not play through excessive pain and dysfunction.

“It’s definitely on my mind that this could be my last few weeks here as a Blackhawk in Chicago,” Toews said last month. “It’s definitely very important for me to go out there and enjoy the game and just kind of soak it in and just really appreciate everything I’ve been able to be part of here in Chicago.”

The Blackhawks have 58 points entering their finale, one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets and tied with the Anaheim Ducks for the worst record in the NHL.