Jonathan Toews “Unfit To Participate” In Tuesday’s Blackhawks Practice

The NHL’s blanket injury policy strikes again.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews left practice early on Monday. He was kept from practice on Tuesday, where head coach Jeremy Colliton said that Toews was “unfit to participate”, which is sort of this year’s version of “general soreness”. It doesn’t really say much, but it could say a lot.

When asked about Toews’ absence on Tuesday, Colliton said it was to “keep him fresh”, which doesn’t sound like it’s too serious of an issue. With the NHL’s “unfit to participate” designation taking over on all injury-related matters, it’s difficult to gauge the severity of Toews’ issue.

Chicago is off today. If Toews is kept from practice on Thursday, it’s going to set off a bundle of questions for a team that’s already been without their starting goaltender since training camp began last week.

If the Blackhawks are without Jonathan Toews for any length of time, it’s a big dent into their offence, which will then need to rely even more heavily on Patrick Kane. If it’s just a maintenance day, Hawks fans can breathe a sigh of relief tomorrow.

The Oilers will face off against Calgary in an exhibition game six days from today. Then, they’ll meet the Blackhawks for a best-of-5 play-in series starting on Saturday, August 1st.