Screen Shots: Jonathan Toews, Hockey Canada, NHLPA

Adam Proteau discusses what Jonathan Toews' NHL future could look like, Hockey Canada's inclusion and equity initiative and a report on the NHLPA parting with Mathieu Schneider.

This is Screen Shots, a regular THN.com feature in which your humble correspondent takes a relatively-quick look at a few hockey topics. We never take much time or space in this introductory paragraph, so let’s get straight to it.

Jonathan Toews' announcement that he is stepping away from hockey – not retiring, just taking time away – puts him in a similar situation to longtime teammate Patrick Kane. Dealing with his own situation, Kane has yet to sign with any team for the 2023-24 season, and Kane’s health concerns likely won’t make him available to play until well into the season. We wrote in June that Kane might strategically be waiting until teams accumulate salary cap space and until teams reveal themselves as legitimate Stanley Cup front-runners before deciding on his NHL future.

The same now goes for Toews. He’s going to take the next few months off and give himself the best shot at being in peak shape before embarking on what he hopes will be a long playoff run. He has nothing to prove to anyone, and he’s earned the right to pick his spot at a time that works for him.

Whether it’s joining up with a team like Colorado or jumping on his hometown Winnipeg Jets squad, Toews can still offer a team his wealth of experience and general leadership. He’s going to be off the radar in the short term, but if Toews decides to pop up again in the new year rather than sit out the entire season, he could improve the roster of a Cup contender that needs a veteran to play in third-line center role. In the most fascinating scenario that’s possible, Toews and Kane sign with the same team. Is that probable? No. But one can dream.

Hockey Canada's new inclusion and equity initiative is a promising step forward for this beleaguered organization. As part of the plan, Hockey Canada will undergo an audit focusing on pay equity, a focus on Indigenous representation in event bids, and a new recruitment strategy.

Hockey Canada is going through a period in which some of their management members’ highly questionable decisions were laid bare for public consumption, and this new initiative looks to be a strong step forward and a plan for transparency so that all of the hockey community can see for themselves what is happening with Canada’s governing body for the sport, and feel good about the direction it is taking.

There are still big steps to be taken to ensure Hockey Canada is on the right road, including finishing the investigation into sexual assault allegations against some members of the 2018 world junior national team. But this announcement is encouraging, and the game will be better for it. If hockey truly is for everyone, its gatekeepers need to take measures that reach out to minorities and underserved groups. This initiative is a solid start to that end.

Finally, Frank Seravalli reported the NHL Players’ Association is parting ways with former special assistant to the executive director and former NHL defenseman Mathieu Schneider. Perhaps the writing was on the wall for him once newcomer Marty Walsh got the job, as Schneider was a candidate for the executive director position. And like most changes in management, the new person heading things up wants to bring their own people on board. Walsh is doing that with this move.

Schneider had been working for the PA for 12 years, but it's a new era for the union. It will be intriguing to see whether Schneider moves over to NHL management. He was a terrific player and someone who earned his seniority with the PA, so we don’t imagine Schneider will be unemployed for very long.