Jonathan Toews wasn’t ready to say goodbye.
And so, even with his Winnipeg Jets experiencing plenty of turbulence this season, the thought of grabbing a parachute never crossed his mind as last week’s NHL trade deadline approached.
“No, no,” Toews told the Free Press on Thursday.
“Even if I was at the top of my game and things were clicking perfectly, I just don’t feel like that’s an opportunity or something I would see as an opportunity. I think the Jets have given me a huge chance to come back and play. I don’t want to turn my back on that for one second.”
Toews is the first to admit his return following a two-year, health-related hiatus hasn’t gone as smoothly as he’d like. The 37-year-old has struggled to produce offensively, recording 21 points (7 goals, 14 assists) so far this season, and he’s bounced throughout the lineup without really finding a comfortable fit on a Jets team that currently sits 27th overall in the standings.
“The Jets have given me a huge chance to come back and play. I don’t want to turn my back on that for one second.”
There have been some highlights, however, including four straight games with a goal in mid-January, which suggested he had perhaps turned a corner. Toews has also suited up for all 64 games this year, which is impressive considering his long and winding road back to the NHL.
There’s little question several teams would have been calling had Toews gone to market. Three-time Stanley Cup champions with his resumé don’t grow on trees, and a contender would have loved to bring in that kind of pedigree and experience — even if just for depth and insurance purposes.
But it never happened. Or even came close.
Rather than potentially chase a fourth Cup, Toews said he wanted to stay true to himself and finish the season here in Winnipeg.
“Obviously this team’s had a lot of success the last couple of years. I wanted to be a part of that. It felt like a great opportunity to live out a dream to play for my hometown team. I had heard so much about the locker room here and the character of the guys,” he said of his original mindset, which hasn’t wavered to this day.
NAM Y. HUH/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES
The Winnipeg Jets’ Jonathan Toews is embracing his mentorship role with the club’s young forwards.
“I would have loved to contribute more and played better up until this point of the year. I’m still trying to work on my game and grow my game. But it’s been a lot of fun being part of this group.”
To be clear, the Jets never broached the subject of a trade with Toews, either.
“When we negotiated that contract, we negotiated a full no-move,” said general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff. “That’s me saying to him, ‘I’m not coming to you unless you’re coming to me.’ And so that’s a situation where I totally respect the player and the individual there.”
Toews admittedly faced a difficult decision in moving on from the only NHL franchise he’d known, the Chicago Blackhawks, but clearly found comfort in his own backyard. However, the idea of getting to know a third hockey home — and, by virtue of a trade, something he’d never experienced before — just wasn’t on the menu.
And so this homecoming continues, at least for the remaining 18 regular-season games on the schedule.
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Toews made his regular-season debut with the Jets back in October, and he’s staying put.
“I think when he signed on this summer, and coming home for him, he was all-in. Whether it was good or bad. Whether the scenario, how it worked itself out, he committed to play for the Winnipeg Jets,” Jets head coach Scott Arniel said prior to Thursday’s game against the New York Rangers.
“And I applaud him for that. For him wanting to stick it out here and help us try to get in the playoffs. It’s not done. This time of year, this is the time we really need him to help us in those situations. I wouldn’t think he’d have done anything else. He’s committed himself and he wants to fulfill it.”
That didn’t surprise his long-time coach in Chicago, Joel Quenneville, who was in town earlier this week as his Anaheim Ducks downed Toews’ Jets 4-1 to end their six-game point streak.
“I’m happy for the guy. I talked to him a few times over the course of the year. He’s such a competitive guy. I know where the team is at and I know where Johnny’s mind is at right now — it’s probably in the place where he’s going to leave it all out there to find a way to get in (to the playoffs),” said Quenneville.
“Game in and game out, you know you’re going to get everything (Toews has).”
“He’s finding his way. He had a real good stretch there (coming out of the Christmas break). Game in and game out, you know you’re going to get everything (Toews has). It’s not easy coming back from a layoff like he’s had. But he’s doing what he can.”
And as the regular season winds down, Toews is trying to contribute in ways that go beyond the scoreboard. For example, he’s taken on a bit of a mentorship role with young forwards such as Brad Lambert, who spoke glowingly the other day about watching Toews when he grew up, and 22-year-old trade addition Isak Rosen, who is now skating on a line with Toews.
“It’s fun to have someone with that energy and that youth. They’re excited, they don’t take any game, any moment for granted,” said Toews.
“You know, it’s fun to feel that energy. You’ve got to find it in yourself, too. Especially with how young these skilled guys are now, like Rosey, I’ve got a lot to learn from them as well.”
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Toews might want to brush up on his Swedish, since the other member of that line is Rosen’s countryman, Gustav Nyquist.
“It should be better by now. I know a couple swear words from back in the day,” Toews said, laughing.
Arniel has seen the impact of having Toews around in many different ways.
“Whether it’s conversations at dinner or whether it’s on the ice or in the dressing room, that’s what Jonathan does real well. And he’s not afraid to share with others,” he said.
“It’s great when he’s grabbing some of these young guys and maybe talking about some of the experiences he’s been through or how they can handle certain situations. And that’s what you hope your veteran leaders do. That’s the knowledge they can pass on.”
Which brings us to one final set of questions: What happens when the buzzer sounds on this current NHL campaign? Is Toews ready to retire? Does he feel like he has another season left in him? If so, will that happen here in Winnipeg?
Toews asked for a timeout.
“See where I am at after the season. Trying to stay in the present right now,” he said, noting that was always his plan when the comeback began.
“Sorry I don’t have anything better for you right now. It is what it is.”
After everything it took just to get back in the NHL, the next chapter can wait.
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Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.
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