Jonathan Toews to play final game with Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday
It truly is an end of an era.
The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that Thursday’s home game against the Philadelphia Flyers will be captain Jonathan Toews’ final game with the club. GM Kyle Davidson confirmed the Blackhawks will not re-sign Toews this summer.
The Blackhawks are the only NHL team he has ever played for after getting taken third overall in 2006. Toews burst onto the scene in 2007-08 and made an immediate impact, recording 24 goals (most by a rookie) and 54 points en rotue to being named a Calder Trophy finalist. He then was named captain in his second season and helped the Hawks qualify for the playoffs for just the second time in a 10-year span.
Toews was integral to the team’s three Stanley Cup championships from 2010 to 15. The 2010 season saw him help Canada win gold at the Vancouver Winter Olympics before scoring 29 points in the Stanley Cup playoffs, good to earn him the Conn Smythe Trophy. Toews also joined the Triple Gold Club after winning gold at the 2007 World Junior Championship.
From there, Toews established himself as one of the best players in the game. He won his second Stanley Cup in 2012-13 and won the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward. Toews won Olympic gold again in 2014 before winning his third and final Stanley Cup in 2015 to cap off the Blackhawks’ dynasty. Toews last won gold at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and managed to break the 80-point barrier for the first time in 2018-19.
Toews sat out the 2020-21 season due to health concerns, and later saw his overall game drop the following year. He again missed significant time this season amidst rumors he was on the trade block. Toews returned to the lineup after dealing with symptoms of long COVID on April 1 and has remained with the team ever since.
Toews is sixth in all-time scoring among Blackhawks with 882 points and fifth in games played at 1,066. He is the longest-serving captain in Blackhawks history, being the only one to hold the honor over a 10-year span.
There’s a good chance Thursday’s contest will be the final game of Toews career to begin with. At 34, and after missing significant time the past few years, there’s nothing else for the three-time Stanley Cup champion to prove.