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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBROOK JONES \/ FREE PRESS
\nWinnipeg Jets centre Jonathan Toews admits he dealt with some nerves in his return to pro hockey after being away from the rink for so long, but said it\u2019s good be back on the ice.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a lot of fun slowly getting to know guys,\u201d said Toews, speaking to the media for the first time since July. \u201cThat\u2019s something that will take a little while to get settled and comfortable in the locker room. In a way you want to show your respect, especially to the veteran guys in the room that set the tone and the example for this team every day. As I\u2019ve been saying, I\u2019ll just slowly find my way, contribute where I can, and find ways of doing that that respect the strengths of this group, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
After two full seasons out of the NHL as he dealt with a number of health issues, Toews is feeling good and has enjoyed being on the ice here during the past several weeks \u2014 as the group expanded from just a handful of NHLers to the bulk of the Jets squad, with the exception of a small number of guys that will be arriving during the next several days.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want to belong, you want to be part of the team,\u201d said Toews. \u201cIt\u2019s a new experience for sure, especially after being away from hockey as long as I have been to integrate \u2014 so to speak \u2014 into a new locker room.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s easy to pick up on why this team has a lot of chemistry in the locker room and on the ice. A lot of guys with a lot of talent, but also a ton of character in this room, too. You can feel that already.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because it\u2019s been so long since he\u2019s been in this setting, Toews is both enjoying getting back into a regular rhythm while also taking time to appreciate some of the tasks that may have occasionally felt tedious during his past several NHL seasons as he worked through those aforementioned health issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a long time and, in a way too, it feels like the last couple years have gone by in the blink of an eye,\u201d said Toews. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like sometimes you don\u2019t even remember what skate you put on first. Once you get going, you don\u2019t even think about it and everything is muscle memory. It\u2019s fun to just get back in that routine and in the structure of an NHL camp and NHL season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just being one of the guys again is among the things Toews is enjoying.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll just slowly find my way, contribute where I can, and find ways of doing that that respect the strengths of this group.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s also something that many of his former teammates who reached out to him providing well-wishes mentioned as something they\u2019ve missed a great deal since retiring from the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust being around this group,\u201d said Toews. \u201cI guess that\u2019s the one thing that\u2019s super exciting to me about getting a chance to play again is that I get to be back in that locker room.<\/p>\n
\u201cAside from that, I just love playing the game. I love improving and getting better and just feeling good, too. Even though you\u2019re working hard, there\u2019s always someone doing something, finding ways to get better that you can always learn from. So, you\u2019re constantly kind of exposing your own weaknesses and making yourself uncomfortable in that sense and I think just pushing yourself always.\u201d<\/p>\n
When it was relayed to him that Jets prospect Brayden Yager mentioned how Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Toews were two players his dad told him to watch closely because of their refined 200-foot games, the former Chicago Blackhawks captain was asked if that was flattering or if it might make him feel a little bit older?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when he showed a glimpse of his sense of humour.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefinitely both. It is definitely flattering to be mentioned in a sentence like that,\u201d said Toews. \u201cI had gotten pretty used to every young kid growing up and wanting to be like Patrick Kane. You get a little tired of hearing that one.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, that feels good to hear, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t RUTH BONNEVILLE \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
When you see Toews on the ice, it\u2019s clear how hard he\u2019s been training to put himself in the best position to succeed.<\/p>\n But, how is he feeling about where he\u2019s at physically?<\/p>\n \u201cPretty good. When you\u2019re away from the game for that long \u2014 no matter what \u2014 it takes some time to get things up to speed,\u201d said Toews. \u201cIt feels good to be on the ice, you do a lot of three-on-three and small area stuff where you don\u2019t have a lot of space. Those are the situations where you kind of get a little bit hasty, a little bit excited, and make a play that you wouldn\u2019t have made if you were slowing things down and being a little bit more patient. That sort of thing will start coming back. I\u2019m sure my game will progress and improve throughout the entire season too.\u201d<\/p>\n Toews, 37, is moving well and is confident with where his skating and conditioning are at, noting that should also improve over the course of the season.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really happy. Throughout the summer there are going to be those days where you\u2019re training pretty hard off the ice and you go on the ice and nothing is working, you\u2019re just slugging away,\u201d said Toews. \u201cYou have to let those days go and remind yourself that it\u2019s not going to be perfect every day, you\u2019re not going to feel 100 per cent. At this point now, all the off-ice stuff boils down and you\u2019re on the ice much more and you\u2019re fine-tuning your game. I feel I have much more speed and much more energy on the ice, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Toews was asked if he\u2019s spent any time wondering what it might be like to return to the United Center on Jan. 19 to face the Blackhawks, the organization he helped win three Stanley Cups after they chose him third overall in the 2006 NHL draft.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure I\u2019ll be pretty nervous. There will be a lot of excitement. A lot of great memories,\u201d said Toews. \u201cJust to be there with the fans and the City of Chicago.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a real family for a long time, so that will feel strange. But it will be a lot of fun. I saw (Kane) went back and had a big night and scored the overtime winner. That was just amazing to see. We\u2019ll see how it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n Jets captain Adam Lowry was thrilled to see Toews make the commitment to join the team during the off-season, noting that the possibility was brought to the team\u2019s attention early in 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it\u2019s been great,\u201d said Lowry, who continues to work his way back from hip surgery. \u201cUnfortunately, I\u2019ve kind of been in solitary confinement on the other side of the ice, so I haven\u2019t had the opportunity to get to see him out on the ice but talking to him throughout the summer and then getting to meet him for the first time here in the gym.<\/p>\n \u201cHe brings a wealth of knowledge and he\u2019s got tremendous experience. There\u2019s a reason why he\u2019s as decorated as he is and seeing how he prepared himself in the gym, how he interacts with the guys, he\u2019s fit right in. And I think you know there\u2019s an excitement for him to get back and competing. And, you know, the buzz in the city is something else, something you feed off. We\u2019re really excited to have a player of his calibre and stature in our organization.\u201d<\/p>\n Especially when a player of that stature views the Jets as bonafide Stanley Cup contender.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t \u201cWe all jumped at the thought of having a player like Jonathan even considering Winnipeg. It\u2019s a huge deal,\u201d said Lowry. \u201cIt means a lot to the guys in the room. We feel like we\u2019re a good team and we\u2019re really pushing and to have him consider us as one of the contenders, one of those teams that he believes in\u2026 You know, a smaller market. Generally, a market people don\u2019t choose freely to come to. I think it\u2019s a testament to his belief in our group. It was nice to see when it was finalized. Now that we have him, we\u2019re super excited to welcome him into the fold.\u201d<\/p>\n As the conversation with Toews was about to wrap up, he was asked if another chance to suit up for Canada at the Olympics factored into his decision to return to hockey.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s in the back of my mind,\u201d said Toews, who helped Canada win gold at the Olympics in both 2010 and 2014. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s the reason for (returning), but the timing couldn\u2019t hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Ken Wiebe Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t
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\nJonathan Toews and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff at the July 2025 press conference announcing Toews\u2019 signing with the Winnipeg Jets.<\/p>\n
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\nWinnipeg Jets\u2019 Jonathan Toews walks past media after a pre-training camp practice in Winnipeg on Thursday.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\nWinnipeg Jets centre Jonathan Toews said Thursday he already feels like he has more energy and more speed on the ice than he did at the beginning of the summer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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