Jonathan Toews could be looking to play in Europe this season after talks between the NHL and PA broke down on Thursday. Toews had been hopeful that there would be an agreement leading to a partial season in the NHL, but that seems to be waning. ƒ?oEveryone talks about being optimistic but, really, what is there positive to take from whatƒ?Ts gone on?ƒ?? Toews said Friday. ƒ?oItƒ?Ts unbelievable how hypocritical the leagueƒ?Ts been in saying theyƒ?Tve tried so hard to make an effort to get a deal done when theyƒ?Tve pushed it this far to begin with. It doesnƒ?Tt matter what the players do, how much we sacrifice to make things happen. Itƒ?Ts never been good enough.ƒ?? Toews has been of the faces of the Players Association during the lockout and seems to be one of the most outspoken members.

Jonathan Toews will be one of the players in attendance at the players-owners meeting Tuesday. A bunch of players will get together beforehand and decide which six will attend the meeting in New York, while the others will wait. Commissioner Gary Bettman thought last week that it would be a good idea for the owners and players to get together without himself and Donald Fehr and the players association agreed to do so. It should be interesting to see if there is any progress on a CBA without Bettman and Fehr.

Chicago Blackhawks star Jonathan Toews says the NHL won't push around NHL players, no matter what. "A lot of people on the outside think the players are standing up for something that doesn't really mean anything, that in the end and in the future it's not a lot of money. But it goes beyond that," Toews said. "If we agree upon a six-year deal right now, who's to say the league won't try this again in six years? As players, we need to be strong and show them that, it doesn't matter what the terms are. We work hard for our contracts and work hard to get to where we are and to put on a show for the fans every single night. There's a massive price to pay to get to this level. And (being) pushed around by our employer isn't going to happen."

Jonathan Toews still isn't sure if he'll play overseas during the lockout. "I guess, maybe if it's at the point where the NHL has the nerve to cancel the season, then that would be the tipping point right there," Toews said. "Until then, it's still an uncertainty." Toews sees the benefits of not playing and instead focusing on improving his physical condition during the lockout. That might be better for him long-term, but those that don't play at all during the lockout might find themselves a step behind those that spent time in the minors or Europe in the first few weeks or resumed play.

Jonathan Toews participated with other NHLers along with the Winnipeg Patrolmen Hockey Club for the Goals for Dreams Hockey Challenge on Saturday. The contest, which was played in front of more than 1,700 fans at Max Bell Arena, helped raise $80,000 for the Children's Hospital Foundation and the Dream Factory. "The fans were great and you could tell they were excited to watch some hockey and have their Jets back," said the Winnipeg native and Chicago captain. "Everyone knows it was an exciting year last year and I was excited to get my chance to come back here and play here in October and that didn't happen unfortunately. This is a pretty good substitute, for the time being." Toews has been outspoken during the lockout and he's still frustrated with the league and its owners for not being able to play right now.

As this lockout drags on, Jonathan Toews is more seriously considering his European options. "It's always on my mind," Toews said. "We'll see what happens the next couple of weeks. We're really getting to that point where enough is enough and if nothing happens, then decisions have to be made. We've hung tight long enough so we'll see." It's believed that the NHL will cancel games through Dec. 15 if there isn't a new CBA in a week. That might be the trigger that leads to Toews signing with a European squad.

Chicago Blackhawks star Jonathan Toews has harsh words for NHL owners, who have locked out players and cancelled regular-season games for November. "It doesn't matter how much we try to reason with them," Toews said. "I saw it in the meeting room last week. We worked very hard coming up with those three proposals. They don't have courtesy to look at it or discuss them. It's been proven over time they're on a timeline to see how much they can squeeze us for. We're just waiting to see what happens next. That's why we're staying patient. That's all we can do."

Jonathan Toews is not happy with the negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA. Toews is obviously upset with the NHL and not the players association. "It goes with what I just said as far as them being on their own program," Toews said Wednesday. "When they're willing to consider one thing we say, then they'll step up to the plate. Obviously now is not the time. It doesn't matter how much reasoning, how clear we are and how right we can be in any situation or any issue. They still have their minds made up on how they're going to go about it. Give them one thing that's a tiny bit different and they're not going to look at it for more than 10 minutes. They're consistent with that attitude so far." He sure isn't happy.

Jonathan Toews is trying to keep a level head after Thursday's disappointing CBA meeting. The NHL flatly rejected the union's counter offer and no meetings have been scheduled since. "As players, we're trying to stay positive and not overreact to the lack of progress yesterday," Toews said. "We're still confident the proposals we came up with were very positive and effective for both sides. We'll go with that and see what happens next week. As long as we're talking, something's going to happen." That sentiment would have been more encouraging if the sides were presenting us with a sign that they are, in fact, still negotiating. We can only hope that they schedule another CBA session soon.

Jonathan Toews said the NHL's latest offer is "something," but he isn't excited by it. "As long as they don't think it's like their final, drastic attempt to salvage an 82-game season," Toews said. "If they were that desperate to conserve an 82-game season and get things done, this would have been done already. There's no real effort there." Toews implied that the NHL's latest offer - which would give the players a 50-50 split of hockey-related revenues - was more a PR maneuver than a genuine attempt to end the lockout. The NHL's offer did close the gap between the players and owners, but it's clear that we're not out of the woods yet.