Toews Cryptically Tells Everyone To Back Off On Crawford's Injury

Since December 27th Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford has been on injured reserve with an undisclosed upper-body injury. There have been no substantial updates from the organization until yesterday when Captain Jonathan Toews made some cryptic comments regarding Crawford.

"We're always concerned about our teammates first and then our team second. ... He'll do what he can to get himself better, so he can get back to playing and get back and help our team when he knows how to."

At first glance this seems like a standard response to an injury question but look further. Toews is a very calculated player and you don’t hear or see him react often. This was a well-thought out response to a question he knew he would eventually get. Not once in that statement did Toews mention an injury, working out or being anywhere near the team or the ice. He is concerned about a teammate first which means he is concerned about Crawford’s well-being and not his ability to play hockey. When you hear about injuries you always hear players talk about the trainers and working out but Toews makes no mention of them. Instead he said, “He'll do what he can to get himself better” which sounds like a personal issue. The message comes through hard in Toews’ response when he said, “when he knows how to.” There are deeper underlying tones in this when regarding a 33 year old man who has played hockey his entire life. Toews knows Crawford can play hockey but he is hinting at the idea that he needs to fix himself before he can help the Blackhawks again. Toews' comments seem very leading but let's all hope this is just an injury and not any number of things not hockey related. Though it wouldn't come as a surprise considering Corey Crawford has dealt with a lot since before he even came the Blackhawks starting goaltender. Very few people thought he could be the guy and fans still doubt his abilities, despite two Stanley Cups and numbers that rank up there with the "elite." When he has an off night, fans want to trade him or give the backup a shot. When he's great, fans say it's because of someone else and they still want to trade him or give the backup a shot. Speaking of trades, good friend of Sports Mockery and hockey expert John Jaeckel reported today that Crawford's name has been on the trade block for almost 3 years. There is a lot to deal with when you're in danger of being moved or losing your job. Despite the rumors and being benched in the conference quarterfinals in 2015, he went on to win a Stanley Cup. He was also in high consideration to win the Conn Smythe and although he didn't win it, he did get the belt from the team. Then there are the issues of his off-ice activities which should be of no business to anyone unrelated to him or the team. It all started in December 2014 after falling down the stairs at a Rise Against concert and missing 8 games. You know, taking part in activities that any average person might partake in on days off. Things happen and maybe he has deeper issues but those are his to deal with, not the public. An NHL season, or any professional sports season, can take a toll on players both mentally and physically. Getting dinged up or injured is part of the games they play, but they also have to deal with life. Just like the rest of us. I'm sure your family doesn't go spouting off and telling everyone all of your issues. Neither would any of the boys because teams are like families. Toews is protecting his teammate and whatever reason Crawford is on the IR. This response was his notice to back off and say Crawford will be back when he's back. Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings.