Penton: Toews’ return to NHL a bonus for Jets
By Bruce Penton
Winnipeg now has two golden boys.
The hockey gods may have kicked Winnipeg Jets in the gut with a second-round playoff ouster, but the team was blessed with a nice consolation prize in late June when future Hall of Famer Jonathan Toews announced he would sign a one-year deal with the Jets.
For Toews, a 12-time 20-goal scorer, it’s a true homecoming, for the 37-year-old veteran who played 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, is a Winnipegger by birth. He grew up in the suburb of St. Vital, bypassed the Western Hockey League to play two seasons at the University of North Dakota, and was chosen third overall in the 2006 draft by the Blackhawks.
Three Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe trophy and 417 goals (counting playoffs) later, Toews was not only the Blackhawks captain and leader, but a Windy City icon.
Then COVID-19 hit, and it hit Toews harder than most. He missed two full seasons, 2023-24 and ’24-’25 due to his battle with long-COVID, but he never contemplated retirement. When he told the hockey world a few months ago he planned to return to the game, teams lined up to sign the true free agent. The Hawks, in the middle of a youth-oriented rebuild, weren’t among the bidders.
But general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Jets’ brass were indeed interested. They valued his leadership skills, his defensive prowess and still feel he can be a threat to score and set up linemates with his savvy offensive skills. And he came cheap, too, signing a $2 million contract loaded with incentives that could bolster his income by another $5.5 million or so.
“We are excited to add a proven winner like Jonathan Toews to the Winnipeg Jets,” Cheveldayoff told The Athletic. “It will be a unique opportunity for Jonathan to play for his hometown team. His talent, drive, and experience will be a great complement to our club.”
Toews says he still has some “high level hockey left” and issued a release where he conveyed his thrill of coming home.
“I’m grateful to be making my return to the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets,” Toews said. “It’s very special to come home and play in front of my family and friends in Manitoba. The Jets have been on the rise over the last few seasons and I’m eager to join the group and help however I can.”
Toews gives the Jets additional strength down the middle. Mark Scheifele, Toews and Adam Lowry form a talented threesome and the fact that Winnipeg didn’t have to lose a rostered player to add Toews is a bonus. It’s like an early Christmas gift for the Jets, who would have always been the front-runner for Toews’ services given his love for his hometown. Fifteen teams spoke with Toews’ agent about the veteran centre, according to The Athletic, including Montreal, Toronto and Colorado.
Just one question: Is there room atop the Manitoba Legislative Building beside the Golden Boy for a statue of a St. Vital-born hockey star?
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Comedy guy Torben Rolfsen of Vancouver: “Green Bay’s Jordan Love made a horrible first pitch at a Brewers’ game. Must have been a Packers’ receiver behind home plate.”
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, after a ‘fan’ heckled Arizona’s Ketel Marte about the death of his mother, who died a couple of years ago in a car accident: “If you’re scoring at home, chalk this one up as a strikeout for humanity.”
Vancouver comedy guy Torben Rolfsen, on bad TV ratings in south Florida during the Stanley Cup final: “Alligator wrestling got more views than the Panthers did!”
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Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca