‘Means the world to me’ Toews grateful to retire with hometown Jets By: Ken Wiebe Posted: 4:25 PM CDT Friday, Jun. 19, 2026

The final question answered by Jonathan Toews during his scrum on Friday morning to announce his retirement from hockey provided a vivid glimpse into how the pride of St. Vital went on to have a Hall of Fame career.

“I knew at a young age that’s what I wanted to do,” said Toews, who was surrounded by nearly 100 family members, close friends and supporters inside the community centre that was named after him.

“I love the game and, like you said, I wasn’t always the fastest skater, the biggest or the most skilled player on the ice, but that will power and that drive is something I relied upon over the years.”

By his own admission, Toews was more emotional than he thought he was going to be as he tried to sum up an exceptional career that spanned nearly two decades, including 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks and the one that just concluded with the Winnipeg Jets.

The list of thank yous from Toews was nearly as long as the impressive resumé he’s accumulated over the course of a storied hockey career, one that was filled with team success — from the time he led Team Western to a U15 championship to the gold medals he won at the Olympics, the world junior hockey championship, the IIHF men’s world championship and the three Stanley Cups he captured with the Blackhawks, including the one in 2010 that snapped a 49-year drought for the franchise.

Toews added a Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 2010 and Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward in 2012-13, though he’s proudest of what the teams he played for were able to accomplish.

“I did the best that I could with what I knew at the time.”

“I did the best that I could with what I knew at the time. That’s part of the journey,” said Toews, who loved the idea of holding the announcement in a place that has special meaning to where his journey began.

“It’s not always going to be perfect. But yeah, all in all, if someone told me when I was getting drafted that we would be standing here today and this is how my career would go out, I would have signed up for that 100 times over.

“I would have loved to have played longer and maybe hit a few personal milestones but at the end of the day I’m thankful for the team success I was able to be a part of. Obviously, that means the world to me,” he added.

In typical Toews fashion, he saluted the NHL organizations he played for, acknowledging the owners, management, support staff, the fan bases and the players he skated alongside — ensuring that each of those groups of people knew how much they meant to him on this incredible journey.

Toews, who turned 38 in April, also took time to thank his parents, Andrée and Bryan, and his brother David for the sacrifices that were made along the way to helping him turn his dreams into reality.

Deciding to hang up the blades wasn’t an easy decision for Toews, who suited up in all 82 games for the Jets this past season after battling back from a series of health challenges that prevented him from playing for two-and-a-half years.

“Even coming up these last few days it’s starting to feel more final and more real, and I think that’s when the emotions kind of creep in. And the reality of your hockey career being over starts to kind of solidify a little bit,” said Toews.

“At the same time, a lot of memories start kind of rushing back and you kind of get nostalgic and all those things. Part of me kind of knew as the season was going along that this was likely, but I wanted to take my time with it. It’s not something I felt ready to announce right away.”

As he made his remarks at the podium, Jets chairman Mark Chipman told Toews that if he decided to pull a Tom Brady and come out of retirement, he would be welcomed back with open arms.

Chipman also made it clear that Toews made a lasting impact on him, long before he decided to wrap up his career with the Jets.

“Without question, the best part of our game is its people. I’ve had the privilege of meeting many of the best, who reach the highest intersection of ability and character,” said Chipman.

“But there are only a few about whom you could say they made the game better. Jonathan, you made the game better because you made everyone around you better and it took it to another level. The game is going to miss you and we’re all going to miss watching you play.”

“Jonathan, you made the game better because you made everyone around you better and it took it to another level.”

Jets captain Adam Lowry had no trouble identifying what Toews’ lasting legacy was going to be.

“He’s going to go down as one of the best two-way centremen, especially in the last generation,” said Lowry. “All of us were fortunate to grow up watching him and then play against him and then get the opportunity to play with him.

“My earliest memory of (Toews) was the shootout in the World Juniors and just how incredible that poise under pressure, Canada-U.S., and for him to be able to do what he did and then carry that on.

“You start to see the determination, the focus, the drive, and how he, along with a few others, were able to really turn that Blackhawks organization into the gold standard. He did it all. He’s a winner, he’s a leader. If you look back on his career, that’s the thing that sticks out. He won at every level, every team he played on. He was the guy they’d look to in big moments to deliver big results.”

As much as Toews is going to miss certain things about being around the sport of hockey — and the NHL — on a daily basis, he’s ready for whatever retirement brings.

“Honestly, taking life a little bit slower,” said Toews, who was chosen third overall by the Blackhawks in 2006 and went on to appear in 1,149 NHL games and another 137 during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“Year after year, you’re kind of on this calendar in your mind and, in a lot of ways, I’ve missed a lot of things. You put a lot of things on the back burner and you don’t really have a lot of balance… In a lot of situations, in my mind I was not really present in what I was doing, especially away from the rink.

“So, I’m just looking forward to taking life slow and not really having to be anywhere and just being a little bit more present wherever I am,” he continued.

“I’m just looking forward to taking life slow and not really having to be anywhere and just being a little bit more present wherever I am.”

Toews’ love for hockey never waned and he admitted that there could come a time when he’s ready to get back into the game.

Whatever role that may be isn’t something he’s ready to dig into quite just yet.

“I don’t think I’m one of those guys who’s going to jump right into a job in scouting or coaching or whatever that may be right away,” said Toews. “It’s been healthy for me, at least the couple years that I didn’t play, to get away from it completely and just feel what that feels like.

“It’s obviously pretty kind of earth shattering for you when it’s been your whole life since you were a young kid, but it was a really good thing for me to kind of step outside a little bit. Going forward, I think I’ll always definitely at least have one foot in and one foot out.

“You never ignore or overlook how much the game of hockey has meant for me and what it’s done for me and my family and how it’s shaped me as a person.”

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