Jonathan Toews officially announced his retirement on Friday, ending one of the most successful careers of the modern NHL era. The announcement took place in Winnipeg, his hometown, and the city where he finished his career with the Winnipeg Jets.

However, much of his farewell focused on the Chicago Blackhawks, the team that shaped his legacy. The former captain spoke emotionally about the franchise where he spent almost his entire career and won three Stanley Cups.

As he reflected on his career, Toews said his years in Chicago were special and something he will never forget.

“I look back on my time in Chicago, and it all kind of went by in the blink of an eye, but I realize how special that time was and how lucky I was when I got drafted there. It was definitely incredible and a dream come true,” Toews said.

The Blackhawks selected Jonathan Toews with the third overall pick in the 2006 Draft. He quickly became the face of the franchise and earned the captaincy at only 20 years old.

With Chicago, he recorded 883 points in 1,067 games and led the team to Stanley Cup titles in 2010, 2013, and 2015.

“You realize you have to be lucky in life for the things to go the way they did,” Toews added.

Former teammate Patrick Sharp said Toews showed strong leadership from the day he joined the organization.

“He was the ultimate leader, right up from the day he stepped into the organization,” Sharp said. “You could tell he had those leadership qualities and a certain presence about him that led us right away.”

He described him as an “invincible hockey player” during the best years of his career and praised the way he treated teammates and friends both on and off the ice.

Chicago legacy likely to live on beyond retirement

Jonathan Toews’s bond with Chicago was on display again this season when he returned to the United Center as a member of the Winnipeg Jets.

The former Chicago Blackhawks captain received a standing ovation that lasted more than three minutes, a moment he later said was hard to put into words.

“Going back to Chicago for my first game back this year was definitely, it was shocking,” Toews said. “It was a lot to take in and hard to receive almost, just the love of the fans from that game.”

The emotional return reminded Jonathan Toews of how much the Blackhawks’ championship years meant to the city of Chicago.

“It was a great reminder of just how special those years were,” Toews said. “It just reminds me all the time that hockey’s not just a game. It means a lot to people.”

Toews also won the Conn Smythe Trophy, was a recipient of the Frank J. Selke Trophy, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Canada. After dealing with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and the effects of long COVID, he returned for one final season with the Winnipeg Jets in 2025–26 and recorded 29 points in 82 games.

His place in Chicago hockey history appears secure. Mark Chipman even suggested that Toews could one day have a statue outside the United Center.

Many fans also expect the Chicago Blackhawks to retire his No. 19 jersey and believe he will eventually be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

What do you think? How should the Blackhawks honor Jonathan Toews’ legacy? Comment down below. 

Read more at the NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason