Ice hockey-Three-time Stanley Cup winner Toews retires at 38

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, a three-time Stanley Cup winner and two-time Olympic gold medallist, has announced his retirement from the NHL at the age of 38.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who cemented his ​legacy by capturing three Stanley Cups and ​two Olympic gold medals, announced ‌his retirement ​on Friday at the age of 38. The Canadian centre made the announcement at a sportsplex bearing his name in Winnipeg, having ‌just completed the season with the Winnipeg Jets in the National Hockey League (NHL).

His season with his hometown team came after a two-year absence from the NHL due to illness. "It's a privilege to be ‌standing up here to say goodbye to the game of hockey and the NHL," ‌Toews told a news conference.

"It's just come to the point where it's taken such a toll, I'm just kind of ready to let the stress level down." He spent 15 years with Chicago, serving as captain for 14.

He led ⁠the ​Blackhawks to Stanley Cup ⁠titles in 2010, 2013 and 2015, ending a 49-year championship drought for the franchise with the first victory. He also ⁠won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 2010 after tallying 29 points in 22 ​postseason games.

On the international stage, Toews was a vital component of Canada's golden era, winning ⁠back-to-back Olympic gold medals at the 2010 Vancouver and the 2014 Sochi Games. He scored the opening goal in the ⁠2010 ​gold-medal final against the United States and was named the tournament's best forward, before scoring the first goal in the 2014 gold-medal game against Sweden. He also took a ⁠World Championship title with Canada in 2007.

His initial Stanley Cup triumph in 2010 earned him entry ⁠into the "Triple Gold Club", ⁠awarded to individuals who have won an Olympic gold, a World Championship and the Stanley Cup. Toews was the youngest player to achieve the feat ‌at the ‌age of 22.