Tag: Jonathan Toews

Flashback: Jonathan Toews brings Stanley Cup to Notre Dame football game

Oh captain…

Thursday night marks the end of an era in Chicago sports.  Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews won’t be resigned by the team this off-season, meaning his time for now with the organization he helped to three Stanley Cups comes to an end.

Toews has had a variety of issues health wise of late but will go down as one of the very best and most important players in Blackhawks history.

Back in the late summer of 2015 the Blackhawks were in the middle of training camp that did for a time annually at Notre Dame.  It happened to line up that the Irish were hosting Georgia Tech an afternoon which meant the defending Stanley Cup champs were around for a game and Toews brought Lord Stanley on a field trip.

“Worth the hype” is how Toews described attending his first Notre Dame football game while donning a Notre Dame cap.  You can check out the video here as he’s interviewed by NBC Sports sideline reporter Kathryn Tappan.

Toews happened to be carrying the most famous trophy in North American sports with him at that moment but the real Notre Dame connection to those championship Blackhawks teams was with former general manager Stan Bowman who attended college at Notre Dame.

Personally, Toews time in Chicago coming to an end makes me feel a bit old.  I was a senior in college when he was a star rookie and although he’s just 33-years old, it feels like a lifetime ago when he and Patrick Kane debuted.  In short order they helped turn the tide of one of the most laughable organizations in professional sports.  The Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup in nearly 50 years in 2010 and did so again in 2013 and 2015.

His Blackhawks career didn’t end in the way of a ferry tale like it began, but his impact is undeniable.  All the best to the captain in whatever the future brings.

Oh, and for whatever it’s worth, Notre Dame beat Georgia Tech that day 30-22 in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicated.

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The hockey men continue to have no idea how to own their part in ruining Kyle Beach’s life

Failing to hold Kevin Cheveldayoff accountable is a travesty.

The NHL continues to flub the handling of its sexual abuse scandal in new and astonishing ways.

It’s tragic that I have to point out, up there in the first paragraph, that this isn’t some sort of anomaly; powerful people in sports have made a habit of covering up this sort of abuse. This isn’t some outlier. It’s just the NHL’s turn.

Yet the supposed leaders in various leagues and conferences repeatedly show they have learned nothing, at all, about how to handle the fallout — which guarantees they are not ready to make necessary changes to prevent these things in the future.

If you aren’t yet well-versed in the story of former Blackhawks player Kyle Beach — who was sexually assaulted by a staff member in 2010, reported it and was ignored — read Mary Clarke’s timeline of the situation.

While two of the leaders from that Blackhawks era have been forced to resign (Stan Bowman as GM in Chicago, Joel Quenneville as the head coach in Florida, where he’d been since 2019), the NHL announced Friday that it would not discipline Kevin Cheveldayoff, now the general manager in Winnipeg.

That makes no sense. You can, and most certainly should, hold someone responsible for not informing proper authorities about allegations of sexual assault. Which is what happened with Cheveldayoff. Per USA TODAY:

According to the findings released from a team-commissioned independent investigation by Jenner & Block on Tuesday, Cheveldayoff, then Chicago’s assistant GM, was part of a meeting with team leaders who did not act when a player, “John Doe,” alleged former video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted him in 2010. The May 23 meeting also included former GM Stan Bowman, ex-coach Joel Quenneville and team president John McDonough, who would not report the alleged incident to human resources until June 14, days after the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. Human resources allowed Aldrich to resign June 16 instead of face an investigation.

What an awful message NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is sending. This only reinforces the idea that matters like this should be left to “senior” managers, when we have seen, time after time, that those are precisely the people most likely to cover it up.

And, also, the NHL should simply … expect all of its people in positions of power to do the right thing. This is not that hard.

Of course, Cheveldayoff tripped all over himself in a statement:

The words “I’m sorry” do not appear here. The words, “I was wrong” do not appear here. The words “I made a mistake and will regret it forever” do not appear here.

What’s here, though, is an attempt to deflect from his own role in causing Kyle Beach’s pain by calling Beach “incredibly brave.”

That reaction is more than a decade too late, Kev. Why weren’t you courageous enough to believe him then, and have you done anything, at all, to change the way you see things now?

Nobody has handled this well. My colleague Charles Curtis pointed out how ludicrous Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews sounded when he expressed sorrow for Bowman rather than focusing on Beach and a broader hockey culture that failed him. And Andy Nesbitt showed how mumbly and spineless Gary Bettman has been.

Quenneville at least said he wants to learn and improve, but only after distancing himself from Beach by referring to him as “this young man.”

Beach is 31 now. In 2010 he was a rising prospect. He’d been the 11th overall pick in the 2008 draft and had just scored 86 points playing a rugged style (186 penalty minutes) in his final season of junior hockey. Quenneville may not have known him well, but Beach most certainly was not just some “young man.”

Much of the blame for how the Blackhawks failed here has amorphously been assigned to “hockey culture.” It’s important for those within the sport, though, to explore what actually happened. Blanket condemnations may ring true, but they provide little path toward reconciliation.

There were specific problems here that need to be explored. Toews had been named captain, a position with real power in the NHL, before he could legally drink alcohol. Perhaps it’s not the best idea to have someone so young serve as the representative of the players to the coaching staff.

A more mature player might have set a different tone in the locker room, too:

Is this the reason people in Chicago didn’t take Beach seriously? Did they fail to believe a 6-foot-3, 200-pound power forward could be sexually assaulted by a video coach? Was there no understanding of power dynamics? Or just a callous disregard for any issue that didn’t directly effect the chase for a Stanley Cup?

Bruins winger Taylor Hall was one of several players who delivered a better message in the wake of this story shaking the NHL:

That gives you hope, right? That a player can see it this way. But how do we not also despair, knowing that one of the old boys just skated away, clear and free? He’s still there making decisions that impact the lives of every person in an entire organization, and when it comes time for him to fess up, to say he’s sorry, to admit to what he did wrong and say how he’s going to change, he instead just offers up “empathy” to the man whose life he helped ruin.

How are we supposed to deal with that?

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Jonathan Toews calling former Blackhawks execs ‘good people’ after sexual assault scandal shows us how far we have to go

There’s so much work to do.

Editor’s note: This story contains mentions of sexual assault. Please proceed with caution.

Jonathan Toews had a chance to show the Chicago Blackhawks, the NHL and the world that he had learned an obvious and urgent lesson from the horrifying events and subsequent fallout of the franchise’s sexual assault scandal: That hockey’s toxic, team-above-all culture continues to traumatize individual players and create an environment that gives too much power to coaches and managers who would gladly ignore and cover up abuse in the name of winning games.

When speaking with reporters on Wednesday night, the longtime captain failed.

Hours after former Blackhawks forward Kyle Beach bravely came forward as the “John Doe 1” mentioned in the report as a survivor of sexual assault from former video coach Brad Aldrich, Toews spoke about former general manager Stan Bowman and senior VP Al MacIsaac stepping down from the franchise and said this, via USA TODAY Sports:

“Make any argument you want, they’re not directly complicit in the activities that happened,” Toews said. “It’s not up to me to comment on whether they would like to deal with it differently or not. I just know them as people and I’ve had a relationship and friendship with them for a long time as being part of the Blackhawks family.

“How this situation went down, what the timeline was, what they knew, I can’t really comment on that. It’s obviously a tough day. Regardless of the mistakes that may have been made, for someone like Stan who has done so much for the Blackhawks, and Al as well, to lose everything they care about and their livelihoods as well, I don’t understand how that makes it go away – just delete them from existence and that’s it, we’ll never hear from them. So I have a lot of respect for them as people. They’re good people.”

The words that sting the most are that last set of sentences. Toews somehow equated Bowman building teams that won multiple Stanley Cups and whatever relationship he had with Bowman and MacIsaac behind the scenes with them being “good people.”

But “good people” don’t — as the report released earlier this week details — hear about the sexual assault allegations and then fail to properly report them to the authorities (along with others in positions of authority) while the team makes a run to a title.

Why did they have to step down from there jobs, asked Toews? Because why would you trust Bowman, MacInnis and others (including then-head coach Joel Quennville, who was somehow allowed to coach the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night before he met with commissioner Gary Bettman on Thursday) to be in charge of anything when they heard the allegations and didn’t act?

You could see how hockey culture informs Toews’ quote, and while I think he’s far from absolved from what he said, it’s worth stopping for a moment and thinking about how a young captain (he was 21 during the season in question) would not feel empowered to do more about the situation. Hockey culture dictates a team-first mentality wherein all focus is placed on sacrificing for the good of the whole so that games can be won on the ice.

Toews has personified that sort of “leadership” for much of his career, but his comments make it clear that maturity has not brought him enough wisdom. He should know enough by now to say that the culture was rotten, and to realize that the way to fix it is, in fact, to remove those who allowed it to fester.

He should also realize that the only way the game can move forward is to center the actual victim here.

As disheartening as that is, look at how his teammate Alex DeBrincat responded:

That’s it right there. That’s the right message. And it’s one from a player who was around 12 years old at the time of this incident, far away from an NHL career. And the hope is that there are more and more DeBrincats in the league and fewer like Toews.

Maybe it’s a sign of a generation that won’t stand for this, that would blow the whistle when hearing about a sexual assault and stand up to the authority they’ve been so conditioned to follow.

But it’s more likely that quotes like Toews’s are a sign that we have so far to go to solve the issues plaguing the sport.

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Jonathan Toews is putting his well being first, won’t play due to ‘medical issue’

We need more players to be open about prioritizing their health.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews announced Tuesday morning that he would be out indefinitely with an undisclosed illness, missing training camp and at least the start of the 2021 NHL season. As of now, there’s no timetable for his return.
The announcement stunned they hockey community. While hockey players are often vague about their injuries, physical injuries, especially those that require players to miss signifiant time, tend to be disclosed. The vague nature of Toews’ statement feels deeply unsettling, but it’s something that could set a good example for hockey players moving forward.
“This offseason, I’ve been experiencing symptoms that have left me feeling drained and lethargic,” Toews said via the Blackhawks. “I am working with doctors so I can better understand my condition. Until I can get my health back to a place where I feel I can perform at an elite level and help my team, I will not be joining the Blackhawks for training camp. I do not have a timetable for when I will rejoin the team.”
Toews has captained the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup championships and earned himself the Conn Smythe. His dedication, his commitment and his drive can’t be in question, which makes his decision to pull back from hockey for his health all the more meaningful.
https://twitter.com/MarkLazerus/status/1343961610419908610
There’s a tendency in sports, and especially the NHL to glorify playing injured as a litmus test of loyalty and masculinity. Toews acknowledging he needs to get his health back before he can hit the ice pushes back against the narrative that anything short of a broken leg requires a player to be on the ice.
“I am extremely disappointed, but it wouldn’t be fair to myself or my teammates to attempt to play in my current condition,” Toews wrote.
We have no idea what’s going on with Toews or his health, and parsing his words for any clue as to what he’s going through leads to all kinds of different directions. The only clear and unfortunate answer is that Toews, who has shown himself to be a leader on and off the ice, is not well, and he’s not well in a way that hockey knows how to fix. That, is pretty scary.

“To Blackhawks fans, I will continue to do whatever I can to get back on the ice and return to play the game I love for the team I love. I will not be making any further comment at this time and ask everyone to please respect my privacy as I focus on my health and recovery,” he said.

Broken bones, concussions, all these things have a timetable and procedures for return. Sure they can take months to heal, but Toews sounds like he’s dealing with something more nebulous and unsettling. There’s a temptation, and a huge pressure among hockey culture, to just “play through the pain.”
For once, we should applaud someone who is pushing back against that destructive narrative, and putting their own well being first.

Jonathan Toews needs to rethink his careless comments about coronavirus spread

“Does anybody really know how and when people catch this thing?” Toews said. Uh, yeah, we do.

The Chicago Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews had a good run earlier in June, when he was one of the first wave of NHL players who came out and made thoughtful comments about the Black Lives Matter protests sweeping the country.

In many instances, Toews has been a leader in the league, speaking up when others have chosen to remain silent, doing his best to represent the sport in the best way possible.  For so long, he’s refrained from really saying or doing anything truly objectionable, making him one of the NHL good guys—those players that are unproblematic and hence easy to love.

Well, throw a wrench in that image, because his recent comments to The Athletic’s Scott Powers on the coronavirus pandemic sound kinda whackadoodle!

“Does anybody really know how and when people catch this thing?” Toews said.”I think the best you can do is get good rest, eat healthy, take care of your body, kind of do the little things that lower your chances. What else can you do? Sitting around worrying about it is just going to drive you crazy. I think the NHL’s gone to great lengths to create a safe environment. It’s far from perfect at the end of the day.Everyone has their own beliefs, seeing where they stand with all this. It’s up to you to really do the right thing to be respectful of others but also take care of yourself.”

There’s so much wrong with this I don’t even know where to start.

First of all, yes, we do know how and when people catch this thing! According to SCIENCE it’s spread through droplets and transmits from person to person, hence the need to socially distance and wear masks. Here’s a good video breaking it down.

Now, is it a mystery as to why some people remain asymptomatic while others die? Yes. But that’s only a reason to exercise more caution and not less.

Toews’ also says that the best thing you can do is “get good rest, eat healthy, take care of your body,” which, like, is good advice for overall health but doesn’t really do much to help slow the spread of a contagious disease. The best things one can actually do to stop the spread of COVID are avoid close contact with too many people, wear a flipping mask and wash your hands.

What truly boggles me though is Toews somehow handwaving away science as it relates to COVID.

“Everyone has their own beliefs, seeing where they stand with all this,” he said.

There should be no beliefs about COIVD! All there should be is science! This is not like religion or hell, even issues of social justice. These are facts. These are things that are above a person’s subjective views. There’s no need to “both sides” a pandemic and it’s doubly disappointing to see that kind of thinking come from a player who has always been thoughtful in the past.

Toews carries a lot of influence in the league and if he’s got a laissez-faire attitude about this entire thing, it’s easy to see that trickle down to his teammates. I don’t think it’s too late for Toews to walk back his words and be more thoughtful in the coming weeks and months.  COVID is some serious [expletive] and it would be nice if more players treated it that way.

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews makes powerful statement on George Floyd protests

“Where am I ignorant about the privileges that I may have that others don’t?” Toews wrote.

NHL players aren’t known for being politically vocal, but the last few days have pushed many of them out of their comfort zones. As protests over the death of George Floyd sweep across America, players have been forced to take notice and some have even made thoughtful statements addressing the racial injustice facing black communities.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews waited several days to contribute his thoughts, but in the end released an eloquent reflection on not just the situation playing out across the country, but what he, as a white man, needs to be doing to help address issues of systemic inequality.

View this post on Instagram

A lot of people may claim these riots and acts of destruction are a terrible response. I’ll be the first to admit that as a white male that was also my first reaction. But who am I to tell someone that their pain is not real? Especially when it is at a boiling point and impossible to hold in anymore. It’s obviously coming from a place of truth. This reaction isn’t coming out of thin air. I’m not condoning or approving the looting, but are we really going to sit here and say that peaceful protesting is the only answer? There has been plenty of time for that, and if it was the answer we would’ve given it our full attention long ago. Listen to these two men debate. They are lost, they are in pain. They strived for a better future but as they get older they realize their efforts may be futile. They don’t know the answer of how to solve this problem for the next generation of black women and men. This breaks my heart. I can’t pretend for a second that I know what it feels like to walk in a black man’s shoes. However, seeing the video of George Floyd’s death and the violent reaction across the country moved me to tears. It has pushed me to think, how much pain are black people and other minorities really feeling? What have Native American people dealt with in both Canada and US? What is it really like to grow up in their world? Where am I ignorant about the privileges that I may have that others don’t? Compassion to me is at least trying to FEEL and UNDERSTAND what someone else is going through. For just a moment maybe I can try to see the world through their eyes. Covid has been rough but it has given us the opportunity to be much less preoccupied with our busy lives. We can no longer distract ourselves from the truth of what is going on. My message isn’t for black people and what they should do going forward. My message is to white people to open our eyes and our hearts. That’s the only choice we have, otherwise this will continue. Let’s choose to fight hate and fear with love and awareness. Ask not what can you do for me, but what can I do for you? Be the one to make the first move. In the end, love conquers all. #blacklivesmatter

A post shared by Jonathan Toews (@jonathantoews) on

A lot of statements from teams and players over the past few days have felt forced or disingenuous, but Toews’ note shows what white allies need to do and say to better help communities of color. Toews doesn’t pretend to have any answers, nor does he hide behind any kind of “both sides” rhetoric. What he does do is admit his own shortcomings and ask other white players to join him into looking at their own privilege.

I can’t pretend for a second that I know what it feels like to walk in a black man’s shoes. However, seeing the video of George Floyd’s death and the violent reaction across the country moved me to tears. It has pushed me to think, how much pain are black people and other minorities really feeling? What have Native American people dealt with in both Canada and US? What is it really like to grow up in their world? Where am I ignorant about the privileges that I may have that others don’t?

Most importantly, Toews’ message doesn’t police the behavior of black people during the protests.

My message isn’t for black people and what they should do going forward. My message is to white people to open our eyes and our hearts. That’s the only choice we have, otherwise this will continue.

In so many cases, the burden to affect change is always squarely on communities of color. Here, at least, Toews understands that it needs to be shared by white communities as well.  While one Instagram post doesn’t fix anything, it’s a step in the right direction. Hopefully, it only goes forward from here.

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Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.

The Chicago Blackhawks (27-27-8) visit the St. Louis Blues (36-17-10) in a Central Division clash Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Blackhawks-Blues odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.

Blackhawks at Blues: Projected starting goalies

Corey Crawford vs. Jordan Binnington

Crawford figures to be the steady No. 1 option the rest of the way for the Blackhawks, who traded G Robin Lehner to the Vegas Golden Knights Monday. Crawford owns a 2.80 goals against average (GAA) and a .915 save percentage. He permitted eight goals on 68 shots in a pair of losses against St. Louis in December, but the 35-year-old veteran has logged a robust .939 SV% in nine games since Jan. 9. Crawford stopped 31 of 33 shots at Dallas Sunday. He’s also registered a .913 SV% when starting on two-day rest.

Binnington has played in 45 games for St. Louis, logging a 2.56 GAA and .913 SV%. He’s been sharp at home (2.12 GAA, .922 SV%) and of late (2.33 GAA, .918 SV% in February). Binnington is coming off a sharp Sunday start (32 saves, one goal allowed at the Minnesota Wild), which followed back-to-back home shutouts – 14 saves in a 1-0 win vs. the Arizona Coyotes Thursday, and 17 saves in a 3-0 victory vs. the New Jersey Devils Feb. 18.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Blackhawks at Blues: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Blackhawks 3, Blues 2

Moneyline (ML)

Pythagorean comparisons (using goals and goals allowed to predict wins and losses) are bullish on Chicago and bearish on St. Louis. Recent puck-possession numbers indicate the ‘Hawks may be overlooked and worth a shot at a price +175 or better. The CHICAGO +185 line makes for moderate value.

New to sports betting? Every $1 wagered on the Blackhawks ML will profit $1.85 if they win.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

PASS. Three of the Blues’ last four wins have been by multiple goals. But the Blackhawks line (+1.5, -150) isn’t tamped down enough to warrant a play.

Over/Under (O/U)

The Under is 3-2 over Chicago’s last five games and 4-1 in the Blues’ last five. The goal total in seven of Chicago’s last 10 games has been 5 or less. A struggling St. Louis power play makes for two subpar PP-units in this one. The netminders present a likable matchup for Under bettors, and the price here – UNDER 5.5 (+115) – is a lure. Will back the UNDER.

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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