Toews Make Strong First Impression in Preseason Jets Debut

It was a quiet game for Toews, paired on the top line with potential regular-season linemates Cole Perfetti and Gustav Nyquist, as the 37-year-old shakes off the rust.

Toews spent the entire 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons away from hockey to focus on his health. He indicated in March that he was looking to return to the NHL, and rumours started surrounding the possibility of him continuing his playing career in Winnipeg.

Granted, any player spending 884 days between games at any level would raise question marks. Toews came in to prove that he can still play big minutes and be effective. He played 18:36, which finished fourth in ice time among Jets skaters. He didn’t record any points or shots on goal, finished a minus-one, and set up a scoring chance for Nyquist in the first period.

“I think the conditioning is going to come, the jump’s going to come, and the timing is going to be there too,” Toews told reporters after the game. “You just gotta keep working at it, keep settling in your game and trusting that I’m out there with some really good players,” Toews added.

As training camp continues and more opportunities present themselves for Toews to get another game or two of preseason action, excitement builds on the prospect of getting Toews back in good form for the regular season.

The Jets have four more preseason games left to play, including a back-to-back stretch beginning in Edmonton on Friday and finishing in Winnipeg on Saturday. It’s unclear if Toews will suit up in either one of these games as of right now.

Toews looks to prepare himself as the Winnipeg Jets host the Dallas Stars on October 9th for their 2025-26 regular-season home opener. The Jets and Stars get their 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff rematch early as the Jets begin their quest to defend their Presidents’ Trophy win and Dallas hunts for yet another deep playoff run.