Toews set to resume NHL career, provide ‘contagious’ work ethic for Jets

CHICAGO -- Jonathan Toews made an immediate impact on Patrick Sharp.

“Right away, there was this presence around him in the room,” Sharp said of the former Chicago Blackhawks captain and his former teammate. “He knew what he wanted to accomplish, he knew how much work he needed to put in and was willing to do and he was as motivated and as headstrong as anyone I’ve ever played with. So, that’s kind of how I remember him, and not a lot has changed over the years.

“When he puts his mind to something, who am I to tell him it’s not going to work?”

That presence, focus and leadership became a staple for the Blackhawks under Toews, their captain from July 18, 2008, to April 13, 2023. Those attributes will be there when Toews and the Winnipeg Jets open their season against the Dallas Stars at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, Victory+).

The 37-year-old, who signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Jets on July 1, is back in the NHL after a two-year hiatus because of health issues. Toews was injured during a preseason game against the Minnesota Wild on Sept. 30, but will make his regular-season debut with Winnipeg on Thursday.

"There's a lot of challenges that come your way throughout the year," Toews said after the morning skate Thursday. "Just fatigue and trying to recover and trying to deal with minor injuries that pile up here and there. It's the same for everybody and I'm just happy and grateful to be back to the point where I know I'm confident I can go contribute to this team and put these last few years behind me and just go enjoy this life once again."

Winnipeg won the Presidents’ Trophy last season as the best team in the regular season (56-22-4, 116 points) but is still looking for its first Stanley Cup championship. The Jets have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in seven of the past eight seasons but haven’t advanced farther than the Western Conference Final in 2017-18.

Enter Toews, a likely Hockey Hall of Famer who grew up in Winnipeg and helped Chicago win the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player of the playoffs, in 2010. He also won the Selke Trophy, given annually to the League’s best defensive forward, in 2013.

He had 883 points (372 goals, 511 assists) in 1,067 regular-season games and 119 points (45 goals, 74 assists) in 137 playoff games with the Blackhawks.

“It’s a huge deal and it means a lot to the guys in the room,” Jets captain Adam Lowry said. “We feel like we’re a good team and we’re really pushing.

“To have him consider us as one of those contenders and one of those teams he believes in -- a smaller market and generally a market most people don’t consider coming to -- I think it’s a testament to his belief in our group, and it was nice to see when it was finalized. Now that we have him, we’re super excited to welcome him into the fold.”

It remains to be seen how Toews will adjust to his new surroundings on ice, but former teammates are certain he’ll be a factor in the Jets’ locker room.

“He’s always made others in the room feel welcome and comfortable,” former Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw said. “He’s also that leader that shows … he doesn’t tell you how to do things, he goes out there and does it. He doesn’t just do it once, he does it every day.

“He’s always doing the little things right. When you get a team to buy into that, you have a leader leading that way who’s already got three Cups under his belt, a couple of gold medals (with Canada). It's hard not to push yourself and do the little things right; it’s contagious when you see guys like him doing it.”

Indeed, there’s a reason Toews earned the nickname “Captain Serious.”

“Everybody got behind Jonathan,” former Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell said. “He was the leader and with his work ethic, it was almost like, ‘Who can work harder? Who can outwork each other?’ That’s what I felt it was.

“Sometimes I don’t think I had that in other organizations, but when I came here that’s how it was. It was like he led it, and I don’t think anybody worked harder than him and he just kept pushing that way.”

Toews has been through a lot the past two years. Playing for Winnipeg is the beginning of a new chapter for him, but he’ll bring the same qualities that made him a great leader in Chicago.

“Anytime you can bring someone in with that type of experience in the playoffs, in big games and big moments, whether that’s the Stanely Cup Final or winning the Stanley Cup or the Olympics, he has proven time and time again in big moments that he shows up and he delivers,” reitred NHL forward Andrew Ladd said.

“There’s a certain calmness and belief in himself in those moments that very few have, so that tends to rub off on everyone else on the team.”