Seeing Jonathan Toews in a Winnipeg Jets jersey will feel strange for Blackhawks fans

The Chicago Blackhawks opened up their season on Tuesday afternoon, and they put up a fight against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, but lost 3-2 despite Matthew Tkachuk or Aleksander Barkov being unavailable due to injury. The Blackhawks don't have high expectations heading into the season, but any sign of improvement is welcome for the fanbase.

On Thursday, the Blackhawks have their second game of the season against the Boston Bruins at 6:00 p.m. CT. One hour later, the Blackhawks will hear about their former captain, Jonathan Toews, make his debut with the Winnipeg Jets.

It will be a weird sight to see for Blackhawks fans.

Former Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews makes Jets debut on Thursday

Toews hasn't played in the NHL since the 2022-23 season, as he stepped aside from the game due to dealing with long COVID and chronic inflammatory response syndrome. After stepping aside for a couple of seasons, Toews expressed a desire to return to the NHL. It didn't feel like the Blackhawks were a landing spot, considering they are still rebuilding and constructing the team around Connor Bedard.

But the Jets felt like the most likely landing spot for Toews, considering he grew up in Winnipeg. And the team wanted him. So it's no surprise that both sides agreed to terms on a one-year, $2 million contract.

Chicago fans know the winning pedigree that Toews brings. He was a pivotal piece of the team's dynastic run in the 2010s, where they won three Stanley Cup titles in six years. During his 15 years in Chicago, he scored 372 goals and recorded 511 assists for a total of 883 points in 1,067 games.

For the Jets, they are taking a risk on Toews. Sure, they didn't commit to a lot of money to Toews, but he hasn't played in two seasons. That, and he is the biggest addition the Jets made this offseason, after letting Nikolaj Ehlers leave in free agency. That is a tough ask for Toews to fill that void. This preseason, Toews missed time with an injury suffered in a Sept. 30 game against the Minnesota Wild.

It's going to be weird to see Toews wearing a navy blue Jets uniform. Blackhawks fans should be at least a bit interested to see how he does in his first regular season game in two years.