The Winnipeg Jets flew into Chicago this weekend after their 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. They’re on a Central time zone back-to-back, facing the Chicago Blackhawks first and then the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.
Monday was the typical routine: the home team had its morning skate, Hawks coach Jeff Blashill spoke to the media and the road team had its morning practice. Well, normal for everyone except a certain veteran.
Jonathan Toews wears Winnipeg blue these days, but his history never left the United Center. His name is engraved on three Stanley Cup rosters outside the Hawks’ locker room.
The Jets entered the visiting locker room after their practice to prepare for their road game versus the Hawks. It’s pretty nice — not as comfy as the Hawks’ room Toews spent 15 seasons in, but it’ll do.
“It’s definitely different, just being out of the city for a while and coming back, especially with a big Bears game last night,” Toews said. “It’s always fun to feel the energy when you come back to Chicago, so it’s nice to be back.”
This date has been marked since the day he signed his one-year contract with the Jets. Toews is back playing in the United Center for the first time in three years.
There isn’t a speck of animosity from the Hawks faithful; they shared their thanks to the former team captain in a pregame social media video. The United Center will be full of number 19 jerseys.
Toews feels the love already, so much that he said he doesn’t know how he’ll receive the rest of it during his tribute. He labeled his return with the same word that Patrick Kane used to describe his visit.
Weird.
“You don’t get games like this all the time,” Toews said. “At the end of the day, you want to go out there and play well, and you want to win the game, so you got to keep some level of focus and not get too distracted with all the things going on around you.”
Patrick Kane said on Sunday that he expects Toews to get an equal — or greater — ovation from the Hawks when he’s honored during the game. No. 88 did set the bar high when it comes to Chicago returns.
No need for comparisons, Toews will just take in the moment. Without the advice of Kane.
“He tends to do that, I stopped comparing myself to him a long time ago,” Toews said with a smile. “I thought about (asking for advice) and then I was like ‘You know, what am I calling him for advice for?’”
You know the story: Toews was drafted No. 3 in 2006 by the Hawks — followed by Kane (No. 1) the year later — and kicked off the modern dynasty of Hawks hockey.
Toews skated in the United Center for 15 years, scoring 883 points (327 goals, 511 assists). The three-time Stanley Cup champion is the second-youngest player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, and has a Selke Trophy in his case as well.
Toews was named among the NHL’s top 100 players in 2017. He’s what every team captain strives to be — a winner.
“He’s a winning player, it’s something we’ve talked about,” Blashill said. “There are great point-getters and there are great winners, and for me, he’s a great winner.
“What we’ve talked about with our group from day one here is we want our guys to become those winning-type championship-level players that understand you have to check for your offense, understand not every shift are you going to be able to make an amazing play. You pounce when you get the opportunity to pounce and you play smart when you don’t.”
As current Hawks captain Nick Foligno and alternate captains Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy edge closer to the end of their Hawks tenures, some leadership decisions may need to be made. Blashill said he is seeing captain-like tendencies in young players like Connor Bedard, who could go on a similar ‘C’ patch trajectory as Toews.
“Everybody has to do it their own way, part of leadership is being genuine and being who you are and not everybody is the same,” Blashill said. “I don’t know Jonathan well personally, so it’s hard for me to say what exact traits he had, but one thing you could certainly model is the way that he played.”
Toews is seeing it in No. 98, too.
“I can’t compare anything that I went through to the pressure he’s been under since he was a junior hockey player, I can’t imagine,” Toews said. “Only one guy knows what that’s like, and that’s him.
“It’s pretty incredible to see how he keeps raising his game, what is he, 20? The pressure that’s on him, what he walks around with every day, it’s not an easy way to grow up as a young man, but from afar, it looks like he’s doing a heck of a job.”
This is Toews’s first appearance at the United Center in three years, but also his first season playing hockey in that span this year. It’s been a season of rust-shaking for the 37-year-old, who took time away due to health problems.
“It’s definitely been an adjustment,” Toews said. “I mean, there’s a lot of things that I’ve mentioned when I’ve been asked this question throughout the year that I didn’t really predict or foresee. As time went along, I’ve been able to feel more comfortable and just find my game and settle in and find a role on this team.”
He seems to be getting back into the flow, scoring four goals in his last five games. It’s the style he’s had in all those years with the Hawks.
“The beauty of our game is it’s so team-oriented, and I’m always trying to be cognizant of the fact I was thrown into a really incredible opportunity,” Toews said. “I’ll give myself credit, I definitely had a lot of will, a lot of energy coming into my career as a young kid here in Chicago, but it was just a perfect storm.
“I went to play in the world championship after my last year in college, and all the guys there were always like, ‘Chicago is such a great sports city.’ Sure enough, that really came true within a couple years of being here.”
The Hawks faithful are still in his heart, too. He remembers the experiences he gained with the fans as much as the ones he was able to give them on the ice.
In short, the former captain says thank you for the memories.
“That’s one of the coolest things, and ultimately that’s a big reason why I wanted to play hockey when I was a young kid,” Toews said. “When people would come up to you and talk about where they were when you won one of the Cups, or whatever it was — the story they want to share — it gives people memories (and) it’s pretty special to have those memories.”