Now that Jonathan Toews is coming home to play for Winnipeg, he issued a heartwarming statement to all the Jets fans out there who are excited.
Jonathan Toews is officially coming back to the NHL, and he's coming back home with his hometown team. The three-time Stanley Cup champion will ink a one-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets, as first reported by TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
The contract has a $2 million guaranteed base salary and up to $5 million in potential performance bonuses.
Toews, 37, will not appear on the Jets' roster until free agency opens on July 1, but the pact is done and on its way to bringing him back after two years out of the lineup.
Toews sent a heartwarming message to the city of Winnipeg and Jets fans shortly after agreeing to join the team.
'I'm grateful to be making my return to the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets. It's very special to come home and play in front of my family and friends in Manitoba. The Jets have been on the rise over the last few seasons and I'm eager to join the group and help however I can.'- Jonathan Toews
The ex-Blackhawks captain most recently dressed up in the 2022-23 campaign, garnering 31 points in 53 games before stepping away because of chronic immune response syndrome and long COVID.
During his absence, Toews pursued recovery treatments in India and internationally. Now, nearly three years removed from NHL action, the grizzled center is looking to win another championship, this one with a Canadian team that longs to win.
The Jets are coming off a good campaign and might give Toews an honest shot at putting an end to Canada's 32-year Stanley Cup drought.
Toews brings a pedigree resume to Winnipeg: three Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy, a Selke Trophy, and the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.
If he can help lead the Jets to a championship, it would be the crowning achievement of an already storied career.
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