Captain Serious is in a race against the calendar.

Head coach Luke Richardson confirmed on Sunday that Jonathan Toews resumed skating “on and off” while the Blackhawks were on a five-game road trip. He was also seen on the ice both Saturday and Sunday, which was when Richardson commented:

“Today, he seemed good and felt good, so hopefully that can progress into joining the team… I think just by his mannerism today, that, to me, is a good sign, because I know he can get frustrated and, as you guys know from the past, he gets pretty direct. Today he was good.”

– Head Coach Luke Richardson

Richardson later added that Toews could skate with the team throughout this week. He hopes Toews will be able to join them for practice, but also said that Chicago isn’t scheduled to practice today or later in the week. Fortunately, a three-game home stint beginning Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars could offer the perfect scenario for Toews to get some time on the ice and ramp back up to game speed.

Toews will undoubtedly go into the Hall of Fame the moment his three-year waiting period is up. Since being drafted third overall in the 2006 Entry Draft, he’s been one of the greatest two-way forwards in the history of the sport. His list of accolades goes on and on. Not only did he lead the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013, and 2015, but he is a six-time NHL All-Star, a 2010 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, and won an ESPY as the best NHL player in 2015.

Is This The Captain’s Last Season?

Unfortunately, it seems as if Toews’s time in Chicago is quickly coming to an end. The massive amount of speculation that he plans to retire after this season isn’t baseless. Multiple respected sources said that he was “seriously considering retiring after this season”.

Toews’s last game in a Blackhawks uniform was on January 28. He announced in February that he was “dealing with the symptoms of Long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome.” They’re obviously prioritizing his health and well-being, and not necessarily rushing him back. In a situation where Toews’s long-term health could be at risk if he came back too early, an abundance of caution is never a bad thing.

A Race Against The Clock

With that being said, time is running out for Toews if he indeed plans to retire at the end of this campaign. His health is clearly of utmost importance, but fans everywhere are hoping for one final farewell. The magic number of games for that return is down to nine, with Chicago closing in on the end of the season. He may be further from a return to the lineup than we hope, but if he is able to come back, the storybook ending is there for him. The Blackhawks play three games in the last week of the season, with two of them in Chicago. All eyes could be on the Flyers-Blackhawks game as the finale on April 13th in the United Center.

If Toews is done after this year, Chicago sports fans will want their final goodbye. Hopefully, Captain Serious can come back for his sendoff and don the sweater one last time before it gets hung up in the rafters for good.