Toews signs with Winnipeg but Chicago will always be his hockey home

When the Winnipeg Jets announced that they had signed Jonathan Toews to a one-year contract for the 2025-26 season, they proudly shared that the Winnipeg native was "coming home." Chicago Blackhawks fans, however, see it a bit differently.

Yes, Toews was born and raised in the St. Vital neighborhood of Winnipeg, so making his NHL return with his hometown team will be a fittingly full-circle moment in his career. But up until this point, the entirety of that career had been spent in Chicago – and 15 seasons, three Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe Trophy later, Blackhawks fans aren't going to let go of their former captain that easily.

Toews signs with Winnipeg but Chicago will always be his hockey home

The Blackhawks announced in 2023 that they would not be bringing Toews back as his contract was set to expire. Emotion and nostalgia aside, it made sense; the team was in full rebuild mode, and general manager Kyle Davidson wanted to give the next generation of Blackhawks stars the opportunity to shine without being in the shadows of the Stanley Cup-winning era in the early 2010s.

Toews and Patrick Kane were the last remaining ties to that era. Kane ended up with the Detroit Red Wings after a brief pit stop with the New York Rangers, while Toews stepped away from hockey for the last two seasons. When Toews first made it clear that he was contemplating a comeback, though, he knew it wouldn't be with the Blackhawks.

"I don’t think that’s a fit for me anymore," Toews told Mark Lazerus of The Athletic in March (subscription required). "I want to go somewhere and have a chance to be myself and play the game. I know my best hockey’s going to come through that way, instead of trying to be in that role where I’m still living with the pressure of our Cup-winning days. That era’s over.”

That era of Blackhawks history may be over, but it won't soon be forgotten by the fans. Toews' legacy in Chicago will always be as a winner and a leader, and Chicago will always be his hockey home.