Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks' star, finally admitted why he didn't make it to the 2020-21 NHL season. He said he had "chronic immuno response syndrome."The team captain announced his return to the team Wednesday in a video.Toews stated that he is looking forward to next season playing in front of United Center fans.On Dec. 29, the Blackhawks and Toews made it clear that the center would not be joining the team at training camp. Toews stated that he felt "drained" and "lethargic" after he suffered symptoms and that there was no timeline for his return. Toews missed the entire 56-game regular league season. Chicago finished fifth in the realigned Central Division with 24-25-7.I didn't speak out about all the experiences I had this year. I am grateful for your support and understanding. I wanted to share my feelings. pic.twitter.com/3qgftKki10 Jonathan Toews, @JonathanToews June 30, 202133-year-old Toews admitted that he wasn't vocal about what he had been through in the past year and that he was sorry for not being more open about his condition. This led to speculation from fans about how serious it was."I think it's just a lot of stuff that just piled up and my body just collapsed. It's called chronic immune response syndrome. I was unable to recover from it. He said that my immune system was constantly reacting to any stress or activity that I made throughout the day.It took some time and the frustrating part was not knowing how or when we would get over it. I was fortunate to have a wonderful support group of people who helped me get through it and learned about the effects of stress on my body over the years.Toews thanked his teammates and fans, as well Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz and general manager Stan Bowman, and coach Jeremy Colliton, for their support."You can talk about what you value and what you take for granted. But I believe the No. One thing I can say is that there have been so many people from all walks of hockey who have supported me. He said that he believes that is the most important thing. "But I'm excited about getting back to the United Center to play and just go outside and have fun. I believe my best will come through and I'm looking forward to getting back in front of the fans.Toews' announcement came at a time when the Blackhawks are going through a turbulent time. A lawsuit was filed by an unidentified ex-Blackhawks player alleging that Brad Aldrich, the former video coach, sexually assaulted him during the team's playoff run for the 2010 Stanley Cup. The player seeks more than $150,000 in damages. WBEZ, a Chicago radio station, first reported the news about the lawsuit in May.Toews, who was 22 at the time of the playoffs, was in his third season with the league. Toews was named playoffs MVP and won the Conn Smythe Trophy.This report used information from Emily Kaplan, ESPN's Emily Kaplan.
