Jonathan Toews's healing journey: From long COVID back to the NHL

Researchers working on treatments and cures for long COVID are closely watching newly signed Winnipeg Jets forward Jonathan Toews's healing journey — and his return to the NHL after two years away.

"I am thrilled that he is making a return and a comeback," said Dr. Kieran Quinn, an internal medicine and palliative care physician at Sinai Health in Toronto. He teaches and does research at the University of Toronto, looking for treatments to help long COVID patients feel better. Quinn is also a hockey fan who has followed Toews's career for years.

"It's really just great to see somebody in the prime of their life come back to the sport that they love. It's also, I think, really important for the hundreds of thousands or possibly even millions of Canadians who are living with long COVID to see that there is hope. People can come back and people can get better from this illness."

Toews has had about as close to a dream career in hockey as you can get.

The third overall draft pick in 2006, named Chicago's captain at just 20 years old, Winnipeg-born Toews led the team to three Stanley Cups, racking up a pair of Olympic gold medals and a trophy case full of individual awards along the way. 

Toews has been named one of the 100 greatest NHL players. He's a surefire, first-ballot Hockey Hall of Famer.

But in December 2020, Toews announced he was sitting out indefinitely with an undisclosed illness. He later revealed it was chronic inflammatory response syndrome, connected with a COVID-19 infection early in 2020.

"My focus is to give myself the time and space to fully heal and enjoy life to the fullest once again. Along the way I have met several people who have struggled with health issues pertaining to long COVID, chronic immune