Jets Veteran to Play First Game in Over Two Years

When the Winnipeg Jets take to the ice for their home opener, a legend will be stepping on to the ice for the first time in over two calendar years. Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews, who signed a one-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets in the offseason, will be playing in the NHL for the first time in a long time.

Toews spent 15 seasons with the Blackhawks and also won 3 Stanley Cups while in the Windy City. Toews tallied 1067 games and scored 372 goals and assisted on 511 more and has 883 points in his NHL career so far. Toews has also participated in 137 playoff games and tallied 45 goals and 74 assists for a total of 119 points.

Toews took a few years off from hockey after the 2022-23 season because he was dealing with long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome. Toews did the right thing and stepped away from the sport to focus on his health. Now, with him fully healthy and ready to play again, it remains to be seen what kind of player the Jets are going to get when he hits the ice.

The Jets are coming off of a 2024-25 season where they won the President's Trophy for having the league's best record. The Jets finished with a 56-22-4 record and finished with the Western Conference's number one seed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Jets defeated the Blues in the first round of the playoffs in seven games thanks to Adam Lowry who scored the overtime game-winning goal in the second overtime of game seven. The Jets then went on to get upset in the second round of the playoffs by the Dallas Stars in six games.

Toews and the Jets will open the season by hosting those same Dallas Stars who eliminated them from the playoffs the season prior. Adding Toews to the team should give them another really viable option down the middle of the ice especially with the experience he brings to the team.

The Jets should expect a bit of rust from Toews as he has not played an NHL regular season game in quite a long time. It will likely take Toews a bit to get back up to NHL speed and get his feet back underneath him. But the Jets adding him to the team, should give them another reliable option and he can score some goals.