Former Chicago Blackhawks team captain Jonathan Toews, who was the leader of the franchise that won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015, has officially found the next stop in his professional career.
Toews recently agreed to a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets, his hometown team. Toews has not played since April 2023, but recently announced his intentions to return to the NHL after being plagued by symptoms of Long-COVID.
The Jets schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 NHL season has officially been released, and Blackhawks fans will be circling their calendars for the return of Toews to United Center for the first time wearing opposition colors.
Toews and the Jets will visit Chicago on January 19, according to Scott Powers of The Athletic.
Though nothing has officially been confirmed by the Blackhawks, there will almost certainly be a lengthy video tribute for Toews and time for him to skate and wave to the crowd, similar to when former Chicago forward Patrick Kane returned for the first time as an opponent in 2024 with the Detroit Red Wings.
Jonathan Toews wanted to come home to Winnipeg
After officially signing with the Jets earlier in July, Toews admitted that there wasn't anywhere else that he was considering.
“I couldn't see myself wearing any other jersey,” Toews said via NHL.com “It was intuitive, something where it just felt right.”
As Jets fans wonder which version of Toews that they'll be getting this season, Toews said that he still has the “hands” that made him one of Chicago's best players during their heyday, but that his feet will need a bit of a chance to catch back up.
“I still have the hands,” Toews said. “The feet will catch up. I'll always be a Winnipeger through and through.”
It's an understandable thought, considering that Toews last played professional hockey in April of 2023, and will likely need an adjustment period to get himself re-acclimated to the physical grind that is playing an 82-game season.
Toews is also preparing to celebrate the 17th anniversary of his being initially being given the captaincy of the Blackhawks at just 20 years of age in 2008. In just his second NHL season, Toews helped lead the Blackhawks to the Western Conference Final, where they would be defeated by the Red Wings and his future longtime Blackhawks teammate, Marian Hossa.
What followed was the golden age of Blackhawks hockey, winning the Stanley Cup three times in six years.
