Puck drops on Toews’ next chapter Storied centre remains hungry for fourth Stanley Cup By: Ken Wiebe Posted: 5:02 PM CDT Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025 Last Modified: 9:05 PM CDT Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025 Updates

Brent Seabrook didn’t need long to pour freezing cold water on a theory that has been making the rounds.

Seabrook, a longtime teammate and former roommate of Jonathan Toews when they played for the Chicago Blackhawks, has been around long enough to know that the Winnipeg Jets centre didn’t put himself through everything on this long and winding road to recovery just to say that he could make it back.

While it’s true there are no guarantees in professional sports, Seabrook is convinced that Toews can still be an important contributor on a winning hockey club.

“Average? That doesn’t sound like Johnny Toews. That doesn’t sound like him,” Seabrook said in a recent telephone interview. “He’s not going to come back and do something if he’s not ready. He knows where he’s at — where his body is at and his game is at.

“I think the Jets are going to be pretty pleased with what they get out of him in a full season of work there.”

More than two years after playing his last NHL game, Toews accelerated the process of rewriting the next chapter of his decorated career on Thursday night by suiting up in the season opener for the Jets against the Dallas Stars before a packed house inside Canada Life Centre.

The favourite son had returned home plenty of times throughout his 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks and Toews always enjoyed having his parents and friends in the stands supporting him.

But this experience offered a new wrinkle for him.

“I always enjoyed that part, coming back to play here against the Jets all these years,” said Toews, who centred a line with Gustav Nyquist and Nikita Chibirkov.

“My family would come out to morning skate, some buddies would maybe take the morning off work and come watch the skate, too.

“But it’s a little bit different this time, playing for the home team.”

“I think the Jets are going to be pretty pleased with what they get out of him in a full season of work there.”

Toews, now 37, admitted after the morning skate that he’s tired of answering questions about getting back to playing and is eager for that part of his life to feel normal again.

It was essentially a way of life for his previous 15 NHL seasons before some debilitating health issues prevented him from doing the thing he enjoys most and threatened to end his career prematurely.

With ample time for reflection on this arduous journey, Toews has altered his mentality somewhat.

“As you get older, your motivation has to change,” said Toews.

“I used to be pretty hard on myself and I would do so until I got what I wanted or got where I wanted to go. I’ve gotten to the point where I realized that that’s not really an effective way to keep going about things. For me, it’s about being as connected as I can be to the process, being in the present moment and enjoying every moment, especially the ones that maybe don’t feel so good or are more challenging.”

Toews has made himself vulnerable enough to know that not everything will be perfect, while never losing the will to succeed or the hunger that has allowed him to be a winner throughout his Hall of Fame career.

“He’s everything (as) advertised,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel, who is responsible for allotting the ice time for Toews.

“But it’s a little bit different this time, playing for the home team.”

“He’s intense, he’s driven. He’s in fantastic shape. He’s excited about being here. Again, just wants to fit in, just wants to be a part of our room, be a part of hopefully helping us have success.

“You know, it’s going to be a grind for him. He’s been away for a while. That’s the biggest thing for me, every day he’s gotten stronger and better and feeling more comfortable.”

Jets forward Tanner Pearson faced Toews a lot during the glory days of the rivalry between the Los Angeles Kings and Blackhawks — when the Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2014 and the Blackhawks captured their third Cup in six seasons in 2015) and he’s seen the two-way centre have a massive impact on the outcome of games.

“His hockey IQ is through the roof and he’s so strong on the puck. He always has been,” said Pearson. “He’s a top, two-way centreman in the league. I would bet money on it that he still is that guy — and that would be huge for us.”

That’s a bet the Jets are making as well, with Toews being counted on to handle the second-line centre responsibilities as he works his way up to full speed.

“It’s inspirational,” said Pearson, who appreciates the steps Toews took to make it back. “Not too many guys in the league can do that or are willing to do that. We’re really lucky to have him.”

Stars forward Matt Duchene arrived in the NHL two seasons after Toews and was a teammate with Team Canada along the way.

“I hate that he’s in the Central (Division), but I love that he’s back.”

Duchene conceded that he did some off-season recruiting and had hoped to convince Toews to join the Stars as an unrestricted free agent back in the spring.

He seemed to speak for many players around the league when asked about his comeback on Thursday morning.

“I hate that he’s in the Central (Division), but I love that he’s back,” said Duchene. “I texted him in the spring, (to) kind of see what he was thinking and maybe end up wearing green, white and black at some point but no. It’s great to see him back. He’s had such an amazing career and it’s too bad what he’s gone through, but this looks like a great situation for him.”

After wearing a single jersey for his NHL career until Thursday night, the adjustment process officially kicks into high gear with the regular season underway.

There will be more standing ovations and highlight-reel moments in the months to follow.

And with each subsequent stride in that Jets jersey, the next chapter in Toews’ storied NHL career will be building towards the pursuit of a fourth Stanley Cup ring.

“He’s the kind of person that cares about people, he’s including people and he wants to take care of people — and that’s just off the ice,” said Seabrook. “He’s very calculated in what he says and when he says it. He’s got a knack for saying things at the right time.

“On the ice, that’s where Johnny is the leader. He’s the kind of guy that drags you into the fight and he’s got your back. He’s just one of those people. That’s the kind of guy you want to follow. He’s a special person and a special player. I’m pumped for him and with everything he’s been through, it’s nice to see that there’s some light at the end of the tunnel for him.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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