‘It went by in the blink of an eye’: Jonathan Toews officially announces retirement
One of the best leaders in the game is officially hanging them up.
On Friday, Winnipeg Jets forward Jonathan Toews announced his retirement from hockey after an incredible 16-year career.
At a press conference in his hometown, Toews admitted that he was grateful to go out on his terms.
At the start, Toews thanked the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he played for the first 15 years of his career.
“I realize it’s a privilege to be standing up here to say goodbye to the game of hockey and the NHL,” Toews said. “I think there’s a lot of great players out there that don’t get this opportunity, just want to get cognizant of that.”
Toews took two years away from the NHL to focus on his health, something he battled with prior to taking a leave after the 2022-23 campaign. He managed to return to the league this past year, signing a one-year contract with the Jets. Though his numbers certainly were far from the production we saw in his prime, the fact that the 38-year-old was back in the game was something fans were happy to see. He scored 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points in 82 games.
During the press conference, Toews admitted he used this past season as an opportunity to simply enjoy playing in the NHL.
“Sometimes it’s happening so fast, and you don’t really have time to stop and smell the roses, kind of on to the next thing constantly. It’s kind of what you have to do to always survive, but thrive in this league.”
Toews noted one of the more special moments from his one season in Winnipeg came in his return to Chicago in January.
“Going back to Chicago for my first game back this year was definitely…it was shocking…it was a lot to take in and hard to receive. Just the love from the fans. I got to kind of skate around and take it all in. Just was a great reminder of just how special those years were, and so cool to see what winning championships meant in that city, and just reminds me all the time that the hockey is not just a game, it means a lot to people.
“I think as a young kid, you grow up, you know, really inspired to be great at what you do, but obviously you want to, you want to inspire people as well, so I think that’s I think the ultimate assignment that touched a lot of people, so it’s really cool to see that.”
Toews, along with the likes of Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith, helped restore the Blackhawks. Between 2009 and 2015, Toews captained the Hawks to the Western Conference Final five times, winning Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015. In that first championship run, at just 22 years old, he posted 29 points in 22 playoff games, ending Chicago’s 49-year championship drought, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in the process.
“I look back on my time in Chicago,” Toews said on Friday. “It all kind of went by in the blink of an eye, but I realized how special that time was, and how lucky it was. I got drafted there.
That was definitely incredible and a dream come true. and realize how lucky you have to be in life for things to go the way they did.”
Toews was sure to thank many of his former teammates in the Windy City, including Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Patrick Sharp. He sits fifth in games played with Chicago (1,067), sixth in goals (372) and points (883), while sitting eighth in assists (511).
Toews played in 1,149 regular-season games during his NHL career, scoring 383 goals and 529 assists for 912 points. He posted 119 points in 137 playoff games as well.
Along with his NHL resume, Toews is one of the more decorated players in the international game. He won gold medals with Canada at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, the 2007 IIHF Men’s World Championship, the 2006 and 2007 World Junior Championships, the 2004 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.