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 played in the United Center for the first time in three years.
Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews (19) interacts with fans while warming up before facing the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center in Chicago on Jan. 19, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
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 was full of number 19 jerseys.
The cameras made sure to make Toews the center of attention, and the Hawks fans made sure to roar every time he appeared on the Jumbotron. The vet popped up on the screens during the Canadian national anthem, and it was the first time this season the crowd cheered before the U.S. anthem.
Toews felt the love hours before puck drop, so much that he said he didn’t know how he would 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.”
Monday’s game was still scoreless at the first television timeout. That didn’t matter as the lights dimmed and the “Welcome back, Jonathan Toews” video played.
Toews waved his stick to the crowd as they stood and cheered for the former team captain for over three minutes. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong were in attendance for the ovation that could’ve been heard from Soldier Field and Wrigley Field.
“What a ‘thank you.’ I’ve never seen anything like it, to be honest with you, and I’ve seen some pretty cool moments,” Blashill said. “One of those moments you feel lucky to be a part of.”
Added defenseman Alex Vlasic: “I was lucky enough to see the Kane one as well, and this one was just as cool. I’m so happy that I got to play with (Toews) for a little bit and see what he was like as a person, as a leader, (and) as such a good person.”
Photos: Chicago Blackhawks 2, Winnipeg Jets 0
Kane said on Sunday that he expected 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, but Toews may have his old teammate beat.
No need for comparisons, though, Toews embraced the once-in-a-lifetime moment.
“I do my best to take it all in and savour it, to really appreciate the love from the fans,” Toews said postgame. “It will always be home and have a special place in my heart.”
It was easy to forget that there was a hockey game going on with all the celebration. Especially since there wasn’t a goal until late in the second period.
Jason Dickinson changed that with a flick between two defenders to break the double donuts on the scoreboard. The Hawks are still looking to break their offensive drought, but they used their defense and mostly Spencer Knight (32 saves and his eighth career shutout) to keep them afloat.
Toews didn’t make any in-game noise, but that’s no concern. There isn’t much else he needs to prove in the United Center.
The Hawks (20-22-7) defeated the Jets 2-0 in the high-energy game. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Hawks while marking the Jets’ (19-23-7) 13th loss in 17 games.
“We’re in that last stretch of 30-plus games, they’re only going to get harder and this is what it starts to look like,” Blashill said. “It was kind of fitting that that’s the way the game went tonight because that’s the reality of it, if we want to end up becoming a playoff team and winning in the playoffs, that’s where you have to do it.”
Toews didn’t add to his career point total of 901 — he hit the 900 mark on Thursday in Minnesota — but he logged 18:06 of ice time and a few good looks by the net. He had two shots on goal.
“That was crazy, my forearms were burning (because) I was just tapping the boards, that’s a memory I’ll never forget,” Oliver Moore said of the Toews ovation. “I never got to be here for a game when he was playing, but I can only imagine the impact that he had on the city, the fans, the whole community of the Blackhawks and it’s a big reason why the fans came out today.”
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.
Jonathan Toews kisses the Cup during the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Victory Rally at Wacker and Michigan on Friday, June 11, 2010. (Brian Cassella/ Chicago Tribune)
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.”
Bedard scored his first goal since Dec. 10 on an empty net at 18:04 in the third period. It was his 20th goal of the season and he tied Eddie Olczyk (65) for the most goals in Hawks history before turning 21.
“I thought he certainly had a number of chances since he’s been back, he’s set up a number of people,” Blashill said. “Hopefully that just starts a waterfall of production.”
This was 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 six 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.”