Although Jonathan Toews made it clear that he is not retiring from the National Hockey League, the three-time Stanley Cup champion provided more clarity on the situation on Friday.

Toews said he would not decide whether he would play in the league again until late in the upcoming regular season at the earliest.

“I am thinking in my mind to give myself a little bit more time, maybe near the end of the regular season next year, to really engage where I am at and whether coming back to the game at some point is worth it for me on any level,” the 35-year-old said on Friday, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers. “So we'll see at that point.”

The longtime Chicago Blackhawks center announced on Instagram on Thursday that he was not retiring, but would be stepping away from the game after 15 campaigns in the Windy City.

“I'd like to announce that I am not fully retiring, but I am taking time away from the game again this season,” he wrote. “I cannot deny my love for the game of hockey and still feel the passion for competing at my highest level.”

The unrestricted free agent scored 15 goals and 31 points in 53 games last season for the lowly Hawks, and announced on Feb. 21 he would be stepping away from the team to deal with the effects of long COVID-19 and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome, per Myers.

Toews missed the entire 2020-21 season dealing with the ailment.

“I think it's important for me at this point to continue giving myself a space and time to heal, and I think getting back in a training and preparing and being on the ice every single day, and trying to get yourself to a place where you can only handle the NHL season in the grind of playing every other day,” Toews said at Marian Hossa's farewell game in Trencin, Slovakia.

The former superstar played his final game with the Hawks on Apr. 13, scoring a goal in a 5-4 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at the United Center. He finished his Hawks career with 883 points in 1,067 games, winning hockey's ultimate prize in 2010, 2013 and 2015.