Thursday was the first day of training camp for the Chicago Blackhawks ahead of the 2021-22 season, and a welcome dose of good news arrived as practice started at 10:30 a.m. at the Fifth Third Arena.
Captain Jonathan Toews was on the ice in a Blackhawks uniform in an official capacity for the first time since the team was eliminated from the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs:
There had been no public acknowledgement from Toews or the team that this was going to happen, only adding to the air of mystery around the captain and the ailment that kept him sidelined for all of the 2021 season.