Toews 100% committed to NHL comeback next season

Jonathan Toews' NHL comeback remains on track.

The former Chicago Blackhawks captain is 100% committed to returning to the NHL in 2025-26, his agent Pat Brisson told TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Toews' camp will begin taking calls from NHL teams now leading up to the start of free agency July 1, Brisson added.

Toews announced his intentions of a comeback December 2024. Teams expressed interest in signing him prior to the 2025 trade deadline, though he ultimately decided to wait until next season to resume his career. The Winnipeg Jets - Toews' hometown team - were among the interested parties.

The 37-year-old hasn't played since 2022-23. He stepped away from the sport to battle chronic inflammatory response syndrome and symptoms of long COVID, which forced him out of the entire 2020-21 season and two months of the 2022-23 campaign.

Toews' recovery included a trip to India where he underwent a five-week detox through a holistic form of alternative medicine known as Ayurveda that involved intense massages, induced vomiting, and enemas.

The 2013 Selke Trophy winner tallied 15 goals and 16 assists in 53 games when he last played in 2022-23.

Toews captained the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015. He's registered 883 points in 1,067 career games, plus another 119 points in 137 postseason contests. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010.