Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews in concussion protocol
The Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche will both be missing recognizable names ahead of Friday's prime time clash at the United Center.
Per Phil Thompson of the Chicago Tribune, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews entered the NHL's concussion protocol on Friday and, thus, won't be able to play against the Avalanche. It's assumed Toews suffered the setback during Wednesday's 8-5 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
Toews' status beyond Friday is unclear. Chicago hosts the Vancouver Canucks on Monday.
"We’re going to miss him, but we’re making sure we do the right thing by this," Blackhawks coach Derek King told reporters. "There’s no time frame. It’s when he’s feeling right. You can’t mess around with this stuff."
King added:
"I don’t know the protocol, whether it’s 10 days or two weeks or maybe a month, I’m not sure how bad it was. I wanted to text him or call him, but I think he shouldn’t be using many computer stuff or cell phones or reading emails or text messages."
Per ESPN stats, Toews is fifth on the Blackhawks with 19 points and third with 15 assists tallied across 43 games this season.
Colorado, meanwhile, recently lost star center Nathan MacKinnon indefinitely after he suffered a facial fracture and concussion earlier this week.
The 16-20-7 Blackhawks began Friday in seventh place in the Central Division standings, while the 30-8-3 Avalanche are atop the division.
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