Jonathan Toews says he is stepping away from hockey -- but not for good.
The former Chicago Blackhawks captain -- and current unrestricted free agent -- announced in a social media post Thursday that while he's "not fully retiring" from the NHL, he will be "taking some time away from the game again this season."
"I cannot deny my love for the game of hockey and still feel the passion for competing at my highest level," Toews posted to Instagram. "However, these last few seasons have been very difficult considering my health challenges.