Jonathan Toews has officially retired from the National Hockey League. He had plenty of nice things to say about his Chicago Blackhawks tenure.
On Friday, Jonathan Toews confirmed what was already reported: he has officially retired from playing in the National Hockey League.
This ends a legendary career that included three Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy, a Selke Trophy, and a nod as one of the league's 100 greatest players during the centennial season. In 1149 games played, Toews had 382 goals, 529 assists, and 912 points, all while performing as one of the best defensive forwards of all time.
Toews was the 3rd overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft before he became a Chicago Blackhawks legend. He spent one final year, the 2025-26 season, as a member of his hometown Winnipeg Jets.
On Friday, the Jets held a press conference for Toews to make the announcement official.
Toews spent the first 10 minutes or so talking highly of the Chicago Blackhawks organization, despite the presser being hosted by the Jets. It's fair, considering Chicago is where he became a legend.
"I was put in the right position to succeed right from the get-go," Jonathan Toews said of his early years with the Blackhawks. "Who knew that we'd lift not 1, but 3 Stanley Cups."
Toews had a lot of incredible teammates in Chicago that helped them become a modern-day dynasty. He mentioned guys like Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Nicklas Hjalmarsson, and Johnny Oduya, but he talked the most about Patrick Kane.
"We were kind of the odd couple," Toews said about his days with Kane. "Going through the journey [together] took the pressure off me. I get to look back and be thankful I got to play with a player like him."
These two were different both on and off the ice, but they were the perfect complement to each other at the same time.
Off the ice, Kane was the loose, easy-going kid, while Toews had a much more serious tone. On the ice, Kane was the flashy offense-first type, while Toews dominated in all three zones as a true 200-foot player.
Having them on separate lines was a factor in their overall success from a forward perspective.
"It all went by in the blink of an eye," Toews said reflecting his time as a part of the Blackhawks' dynasty. However, he got a chance to return as a road player to reconnect with the fans that meant so much to him and his career.
"Going to Chicago for my first game back this year was shocking. It was a lot to take in and hard to receive. I got to take it all in. It was a great reminder of how special those years were."
The people of Chicago, the organization, and his former teammates clearly mean so much to Toews, as he spent more time celebrating them in his retirement speech than he did talking about his own career.
Over the next three years, the question won't be whether or not Toews makes it to the Hall of Fame; it will be whether or not he gets a statue placed outside of the United Center to go up with his eventual retired number.
His return as a member of the Jets will pale in comparison to the celebration that will take place during those types of post-career events.
It was a long, successful career for Toews, and he helped put hockey back on the map in a huge sports city like Chicago along the way. Without any shadow of a doubt, the love that the city has for Toews was and will always be reciprocated by Toews himself. He made that clear during his reflection on his time as a Blackhawk.
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