CHICAGO — Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews announced Sunday that he is dealing with symptoms of a long-standing COVID-19 and chronic immune reaction syndrome.
Toews, 34, has not played since Jan. 28. The Blackhawks placed the center on injured reserve Wednesday with an allegedly non-COVID-19 related illness.
“It was really challenging to act out those symptoms,” Toews said in a statement released by the team. “It got to the point in the past few weeks where I had no choice but to step down and focus on getting well. I’m grateful for the patience and support of my teammates, the coaching staff and the entire Blackhawks organization.”
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan on Sunday that he was not taking any action amid the uncertainty surrounding Toews’ health. Trading closes at 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday.
Toews missed the 2020-21 season with what he described as chronic immune reaction syndrome.
He has spent his entire career with Chicago and has won three Stanley Cup titles. He is eligible for free agency after this season.
He had 12 goals and 25 assists in 71 games when he returned to action last year and he had looked stronger this season. He has 14 goals and 14 assists in 46 games for the bottom-ranked Blackhawks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.