Thank You, Jonathan Toews

If you asked every Chicago Blackhawks fan to build their own Mount Rushmore of the greatest players in franchise history, it’s hard to imagine that many of them wouldn’t include Jonathan Toews. He was the captain of the greatest era of Blackhawks hockey. Three Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy, a Selke Trophy, and two Olympic gold medals to go along with countless moments that will live forever in team lore.

One Hell of a Ride

This morning, in Winnipeg, Toews announced his retirement from the National Hockey League after 383 goals and 912 points in 1,149 games. The fact that he played for the Jets this past season after missing two years due to health issues shows how committed he was to the sport. The season didn’t go as hoped for him personally or for the team, but it was a triumph, nonetheless.

Somehow, Toews fell to the Blackhawks with the third overall pick of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. When he made his debut in 2007 as a 19-year-old, the Blackhawks were just named the worst team in all of professional sports by ESPN. Three years later, they were sitting atop the NHL as Stanley Cup Champions. He was the heart and soul of a team that captured this city’s imagination. The Blackhawks went from having to pay to get their games on local radio to drawing over a million fans for a championship parade in just a few short years. Toews was a big part of that, along with Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and countless others.

No. 19 needs to be hanging from the rafters at the United Center as soon as possible. Blackhawks fans will come out in droves to honor Captain Serious. That number was worn by some great players over the years, including Troy Murray, but it will always be associated with Toews. Fans will wear his jersey for decades, much like you still see Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, and Tony Esposito sweaters at the United Center every game. He went from being the youngest captain in team history to being one of the franchise's mythical figures, whose accomplishments will live forever.

Thank you for the ride. Thank you for all the big moments and celebrations. Thank you for everything, Jonathan!

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