After two seasons away from the ice, Jonathan Toews is making his return to the NHL with an agreement in place to sign with the Winnipeg Jets. The contract can’t officially be registered with the league until free agency begins on July 1. Toews grew up in Winnpeg, so the talented forward will get a chance to play for his hometown team.
Toews last played professionally during the 2022-23 season when he recorded 31 points (15 goals and 16 assists) in 53 games with the Blackhawks. He registered 14 goals and 14 assists in his first 46 games in 2022-23, but his health became a factor throughout the second half of the year.
In February 2023, Toews announced he was still dealing with symptoms of COVID-19 but eventually returned to the lineup in April. After the Blackhawks revealed they weren’t re-signing him, Toews announced he would sit out the 2023-24 campaign to focus on his health — though he did not announce a retirement.
Toews, 37, has had a legendary career up to this point. The Winnipeg native helped lead the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups. He also appeared in six All-Star Games, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP (2010), and capturing the Selke Trophy as top defensive forward (2013).
Toews has racked up 883 points (372 goals & 511 assists) in 1,067 career regular-season games. In terms of Blackhawks history, he ranks fifth in games played, sixth in points, sixth in goals, eighth in assists, and third in game-winning goals (69).
It’s unclear what Toews has left in the tank at this point in his career, but he’ll join a Jets team that captured the Presidents’ Trophy with 116 points in 2024-25. Winnipeg earned the Western Conference’s top seed but were eliminated in six games by the Dallas Stars in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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