Chicago Blackhawks star center Jonathan Toews only managed to play in 59 games during the 2011-12 NHL season -- a career low since joining the Blackhawks at the NHL level in 2007-08 -- but he isn't at all contrite about trying to play through concussive symptoms last year. In a recent interview Chris Boden of Comcast SportsNet, Toews admitted that he would do it all over again and try to play through those issues.
"I wasn't feeling like myself, and to me, I look back, and if I felt that way today I would still give an effort to try and play through it. It didn't feel like it was enough, my body wasn't telling me that 'OK, it's time to quit, this isn't working.'"
Here is a video of the interview, via CSN-Chicago:
Even after what happened to Marian Hossa during the playoffs, Toews noted that he just tries not to think about the potential consequences of skating onto the ice with a bruised brain and putting his future mental health at risk.
Maybe that mindset is necessary to get by in professional sports, but hopefully the Blackhawks will be extra careful with all of their players suffering from concussive symptoms going forward.
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