The end of an era

Jonathan Toews is ready to hang up his blades.

The Winnipegger has decided to retire, with a formal announcement scheduled for Friday morning at the Dakota community centre that was renamed to celebrate him.

Toews is one of the most decorated athletes this province has produced and his ability to deliver three Stanley Cups for the Chicago Blackhawks is something he will be remembered for, especially since the first one in 2010 snapped a 49-year drought for the Original Six franchise.

The pride of St. Vital also enjoyed tremendous success on the international stage, becoming the 24th player to join the Triple Gold Club of capturing gold at the World Junior Hockey Championship (2005 and 2006), the IIHF Men’s World Championship (2007) and the Olympics (2010, 2014).

Toews spent 15 seasons with the Blackhawks before concluding his NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets.

Wrapping up his career with his hometown team helped bring a sense of closure, as Toews worked his way back from serious health concerns that forced him to miss significant time later in his career.

“If I’m being honest with myself and I look back to a couple years ago where I was at, yeah, it definitely feels like a huge accomplishment,” Toews said on April 17 after his exit interview. “I’m very proud that I went after it and did what I could to get back to this level and to play in the NHL again.”

Toews, who turned 38 at the end of April, also conceded there were some challenges in returning to the NHL game after a two-and-a-half year absence.

“I’m super happy and proud that I went after the dream of playing in the NHL again. But at the same time you have expectations in your mind of what kind of player you can be and how you want to contribute to your team,” Toews said in April. “And obviously, I wasn’t anywhere close to that, unfortunately.”

Following what turned out to be his final game with the Jets, Toews seemed to take a few extra moments to soak in the scene and he was greeted by a large contingent of family and friends in the stands afterward.

Asked what was going through his mind in that moment, Toews wasn’t quite ready to confirm that he was hanging up the blades, though the thought had clearly crossed his mind.

“It’s been so special. Obviously, we fell short of our goal. This time last year, thinking about playing hockey and gearing up to try and make a comeback, obviously I was dreaming of playing in front of a whiteout, and dreaming about that since I was a kid, and unfortunately it didn’t work out that way,” Toews said in April. “So yeah, in a moment like that, just trying to soak it in, even (during) warm up before the game, and you always have to think you never know when your next game is going to be your last. And I’m at that point in my career where it’s a possibility, and I’m not too happy about how the game went, obviously, but definitely appreciative for all of it.”

While it didn’t end in storybook fashion, the opportunity to suit up for the Jets is something Toews will cherish.

“It was really great,” he said. “Even when I signed here last summer, the reception from friends, family, people I hadn’t talked to or seen in years was really special and something that I didn’t think about or didn’t really expect. But to reconnect with some childhood friends and people I hadn’t seen in a long time, where I’m flipping pucks to kids in warmups and all of a sudden I see the dad behind the kid catch the puck, and I look at him and I’m like, ‘I went to high school with that guy.’”

Back in April, Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey described what it was like to have Toews join the team and serve as a valuable resource.

“Incredible leader and his resume speaks for itself,” said Morrissey. “For me personally, just growing up, I was a huge fan of watching him play, watching those Blackhawks teams all those years. I remember my dad telling me to be a leader like Jonathan Toews, he would literally say that to me throughout the season when I was a lot younger.

“To play with him, suit up alongside him and get to know him and hear about his path back I don’t think, I know it has been talked about, but I don’t think really appreciated enough how difficult that is to go through what he went through but to come back, be in the NHL and contribute every night and play in all 82 games is a remarkable feat. He is a great friend and somebody I look up to and having him here was incredible. His contributions were massive.”

Toews finishes his career with 383 goals and 912 points in 1,149 regular season games, adding 45 goals and 119 points in 137 Stanley Cup playoff games.

Once he’s eligible, there’s little doubt Toews will be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

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