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After 16 NHL seasons, three Stanley Cups and a pair of Olympic gold medals, Jonathan Toews has announced that he is calling it a career.
Toews spent last season with the Winnipeg Jets — his hometown team — after sitting out two full seasons.
At a press conference Friday, the future Hall of Famer officially hung up his skates.
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“I’m a lot more nervous than I thought I would be,” Toews said after stepping up to the podium. “I just want to acknowledge first of all – it’s a privilege to stand here to say goodbye to hockey and the NHL. I think there are a lot of great players out there who don’t get this opportunity.
“So, [I] just want to be aware of it. Thank you all for coming today.”
Jonathan Toews spent his final NHL season playing for his hometown Winnipeg Jets. (Photo by Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images)
Well, Toews hangs them up like he played: with class.
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And what a career it was. I mean, the hardware — which also includes a Conn Smythe, a Selke and a Mark Messier Leadership Award — speaks for itself, but look at those numbers.
Of course, Toews is best remembered for his 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. They drafted him in 2006 and he went on to lead them to three Stanley Cups in 2010 (when they ripped this Flyers fan’s heart out of his chest), 2013 and 2015.
But one of the most admirable things about Toews’ career is how he battled back after two years out of the league due to inflammatory and immune system issues that also affected his final few years with the Blackhawks.
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Jonathan Toews spent 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks and led them to three Stanley Cups. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
What a career. Those Blackhawks teams in the early 2010s were ugly, and they were all led by Toews.
There’s no doubt he’ll get a call from the Hockey Hall of Fame in a few years.
