Kane among those thrilled to see return of Toews

LAS VEGAS -- Patrick Kane believes the comeback of Jonathan Toews, his person and erstwhile Chicago Blackhawks teammate, could beryllium 1 of the champion stories successful the NHL season.

Toews, 37, hasn't played successful the NHL since his last crippled successful April 2023 with the Blackhawks, who chose not to re-sign him. Toews was constricted during his last 2 seasons successful Chicago, dealing with the effects of chronic inflammatory effect syndrome and a bout with COVID-19. He signed a one-year woody with the Winnipeg Jets successful July, mounting an NHL comeback with his hometown team.

Kane and Toews won 3 Stanley Cups arsenic teammates with the Blackhawks. Toews captained that squad for 14 seasons.

"I deliberation it's awesome. Obviously with what he's been through, to beryllium capable to enactment himself successful a presumption to travel backmost and beryllium feeling good, I deliberation that's the astir important thing," Kane told ESPN connected Tuesday. "It could beryllium truly a large communicative for the NHL and for the franchise and for him and his family. So I'm excited astir watching him."

Toews stepped distant from hockey aft the Blackhawks declined to re-sign him. He said helium was "not afloat retiring" but would springiness himself "the clip and abstraction to afloat heal and bask beingness to the fullest erstwhile again."

In November 2024, Toews posted to societal media astir a five-week "healing journey" helium took successful India successful which helium said helium was "happy to accidental things are trending" aft an Ayurvedic detox.

"It's been astir 5 years of searching for a mode to heal the inflammatory and immune strategy issues that took maine retired of hockey," Toews said connected Instagram.

Kane, entering his 3rd play with the Detroit Red Wings, said Toews has stayed successful interaction with him during his erstwhile teammate's clip distant from the NHL.

"We speech rather a bit. He came to Chicago astir a period ago, truthful I was capable to spot him there. Even evidently with him not playing the past mates of years, he's been large -- conscionable keeping successful interaction and reaching retired aft a crippled each present and then. Always bully to perceive from him," helium said.

Kane besides near the Blackhawks successful 2023 erstwhile Chicago traded him to the New York Rangers.

"It's comic however your paths benignant of change, right? You're seeing each different each time for 17 years and past each of a sudden, you benignant of spell your abstracted ways," helium said. "I felt that mode astir immoderate of my different teammates too, similar Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp. These are your champion friends. All of a abrupt they discontinue oregon they spell to a antithetic squad and you don't spot them arsenic much. It's benignant of wild."

With Toews perchance finishing his vocation successful his hometown, there's ever been speculation that Kane could bash the same, having grown up successful Buffalo.

Is that thing he'd consider?

"You cognize what? I consciousness similar I've been beauteous fortunate with the franchises that I've played for. Chicago. New York was a large experience, adjacent though it didn't enactment arsenic good arsenic I'd hoped. Now, Detroit," Kane said. "I mean, I've really, truly enjoyed my clip there. It's been a large spot to benignant of revive my vocation and play successful a bully concern and beryllium connected a squad that's connected the rise."