When the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup - and probably a long time before that - it was hard to imagine Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane ever splitting up. Really, it still is, but with the advent of cell phone photography, gossip hasn’t been kind to Kane and some wonder if he’ll be dealt. Toews discussed his “controversial” teammate with Brian Hedger, carrying a mostly forgiving tone.
“He’s been through some tough things. It’s arguable whether those things happened for a reason or not, but he’s still learning,” Toews said. “Now people are looking for that sort of thing and it tends to be easier for them to find it. I’m sure he’s being very hard on himself right now, but with time it will go away again and he’ll focus on hockey again.”
Still, Toews was a slight bit murky about how much hockey Kane will play with him.
“Whether a coaching staff or management thinks a change needs to be made, that’s up to them [and it’s] not really for players to worry about,” Toews said.
That sounds like a loaded comment, but he provided a similar sentiment when asked about the firing of former assistant Mike Haviland.
Perhaps Toews’ real message to Kane is to simply be a little more careful. In the grand scheme of things, Toews seems like he supports and empathizes with his teammate and partner-in-crime. He’s playing it close to the vest (as usual), yet he probably knows as well as anyone how much the two benefit from skating on the same team.
