Blackhawks’ Toews sidelined by illness

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews will miss the start of training camp because of an illness, and there is no timetable for his return.

The 32-year-old Toews said Tuesday he has been experiencing symptoms that have left him feeling “drained and lethargic.”

“I am extremely disappointed, but it wouldn’t be fair to myself or my teammates to attempt to play in my current condition,” Toews said in a release.

The loss of Toews is the biggest blow in a tough stretch for Chicago heading into the 56-game season, which begins on Jan. 13. The veteran center, a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Blackhawks, had 18 goals and 42 assists in 70 games last season, but he also is one of the team’s best defensive forwards and face-off options.

The announcement of Toews’ illness comes in the wake of injuries for Kirby Dach and Alex Nylander that could sideline the young forwards for the entire season. Dach had surgery Monday after he fractured his right wrist while playing for Canada’s world junior team during an exhibition last week. Nylander had surgery on Dec. 21 for a meniscus tear in his left knee.

Toews was selected by Chicago with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2006 entry draft. He has 345 goals and 470 assists in 943 regular-season games. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP when he led the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup championship in 2010. He captained the team to the title again in 2013 and 2015.