The Anaheim Ducks remain in talks with Jonathan Toews, eyeing a reunion with coach Joel Quenneville (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
Don’t count the Anaheim Ducks out of the Jonathan Toews sweepstakes just yet.
An NHL source close to the situation confirmed to RG on Thursday that the Ducks are still talking to Toews and his agent, Pat Brisson, about reuniting him with new Ducks head coach—and Toews’ former bench boss in Chicago—Joel Quenneville.
“There’s still a good chance for a Toews–‘Coach Q’ reunion in Anaheim,” the source told RG.
Recent reports have claimed that Toews, who has not played in the NHL since April 13, 2023, has narrowed down the teams for his return to the NHL to the Winnipeg Jets and the Colorado Avalanche. While the source confirmed that both teams are high on Toews’ list and could be ahead of the Ducks, Toews has still not ruled out the team that many believe is set to make a major splash on the NHL free agent and trade markets.
“They mean business right now,” the source said.
“Toews is just a piece of the puzzle if they can get him, but they’re thinking big for sure, and that, along with Quenneville, is why they’re still in this.”
Ironically, another NHL source expressed a similar belief to RG later on Thursday and also indicated the Toronto Maple Leafs could still be in the mix.
“The Ducks are still pushing for Toews,” the source said.
Due to a serious battle with long COVID, Toews has not played an NHL game since April 13, 2023. Before that, he was limited to 124 games after chronic inflammatory response syndrome kept him out of the entire 2020–21 season. He also missed more than two months in 2022–23 while dealing with the effects of long COVID.
Toews officially became an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2023, but never announced his retirement. This past November, Toews shared on Instagram that he spent about five weeks in India for what he called “a bit of a healing journey.”
He followed that up in March, telling Mark Lazerus of The Athletic that he wasn’t done with hockey.
Then, on May 29—19 days after the Ducks hired Quenneville as their new head coach—Toews confirmed his intentions to return to the NHL.
“Yes, 100 percent. Johnny is feeling great and we’re moving forward,” Brisson told NHL.com on May 29.
Quenneville coached the former Blackhawks captain from 2008 to 2019. They won three Stanley Cups together (2010, 2013, and 2015) before the team’s run of excellence came to an end and Quenneville was fired during the 2018–19 season, with the Blackhawks en route to missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second straight season.
Since then, Quenneville coached the Florida Panthers from the 2019–20 season until the first month of the 2021–22 season. That’s when the four-time Stanley Cup champion resigned amidst the release of the Kyle Beach investigation. Quenneville was banned from the NHL until further notice and was eventually reinstated last July 1.
The first source confirmed to RG that the Ducks made it clear to Toews—even before they recently acquired winger Chris Kreider from the New York Rangers—that they intend to be serious players in the NHL trade and free agent markets.
“They’ve been talking to plenty of teams exploring trade options, and I keep hearing they will be major players in free agency,” the source said. “That, along with their coach, was appealing to Toews.”
James Murphy
With 24 years of experience (SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, ESPN Boston, NESN, NHL.com, etc.) covering the Bruins, the NHL, NCAA and junior hockey, and more, Jimmy Murphy’s hockey black book is filled with Hall of Famers, current players, coaches, management, scouts and a wide array of hockey media personalities that have lived in and around this great game. For 22 of his 24 years as a hockey and sports reporter, Murphy covered the Bruins on a daily basis, including their victorious 2011 Stanley Cup run and their runs to the 2013 and 2019 Finals. Murphy is currently a co-host, along with Pierre McGuire, on The Eye Test Podcast.
