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The Chicago Blackhawks are preparing to host the Winnipeg Jets. This means the return of Jonathan Toews to Chicago for the first time. Toews spoke earlier this season about playing against the Blackhawks when Chicago visited Winnipeg. This time it will be in front of the Chicago fans. Before the game, one of his former Blackhawk teammates, Connor Murphy, spoke about Toews. “He’s the one teammate I’ve ever had where you go out with him in public and people won’t just say they’re a ‘big fan,’ they’ll almost give an emotional thank you. They’ll literally say, ‘Thank you for making my life better.’ Because the impact he made representing as a leader in the community and putting his heart on his sleeve with how he played…that really resonated with people,” Murphy said ahead of the return of Toews to Chicago, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. Toews was the third overall selection of the 2006 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. He broke intothe NHL during the 2007-08 campaign, and stayed with the team through 2022-23. Although he did miss the 2020-21 season. In that time, he played 1,067 games with the franchise, scoring 372 goals and 511 assists. He also had 119 playoff points on the way to lifting the Stanley Cup three times. Toews did not play in the last two seasons, but has played in 47 games for the Jets, with seven goals and 11 assists. He also knows the magnitude of returning to Chicago. “It’s a weird situation. You don’t get games like this all the time, obviously,” Toews told Tracey Myers of NHL.com. “Just trying to walk that line between, at the end of the day you want to go out there and play well and win the game, so you have to keep some level of focus and not get too distracted with all the things going around you,” Toews continued. Murphy and Toews were teammates from the 2017-28 season through the 2022-23 season, the last with Toews in a Blackhawks jersey. Overall, they shared the ice for over 600 NHL games. The Blackhawks and Jets are both looking for a much-needed win in this game. The Blackhawks are 19-22-7 on the year, sitting six points out of a playoff spot. Meanwhile, the Jets are 19-22-6, seven points away from a playoff spot. Puck drop between the Jets and Blackhawks is set for 8:30 PM ET on Monday night. The post Blackhawks’ Connor Murphy glows over Jonathan Toews before Chicago return appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The 2025-26 NBA MVP race is shaping up to be one that comes down to who actually remains eligible. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is looking to become the 13th player in league history to win back-to-back MVP awards, while Nikola Jokic has made a very compelling case to win his fourth MVP award in the last six seasons. However, Jokic has not played since Dec. 29 as a result of hyperextending his left knee and suffering a bone bruise. Although the Denver Nuggets star continues to make good progress and is beginning to do light on-court work, it appears as if he still has work to do in order to get the green light and return to the court. This has led many to wonder if Jokic will actually qualify for awards and All-NBA status this season, especially since he has already missed 11 straight games and will miss another on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers. As a result of Jokic’s absence and inching dangerously close to the 17-absence cutoff, Gilgeous-Alexander has moved back into the No. 1 spot on ClutchPoints’ NBA MVP rankings. Will anyone be able to catch the Oklahoma City Thunder MVP, or will he etch his name in the history books alongside Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and other legends in NBA history? Here is what the top 10 of the NBA MVP rankings look like past the halfway point in the 2025-26 season. Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Previous ranking: #2 2025-26 season stats: 41 games, 31.8 points, 6.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 54.7 FG%, 39.6 3P% Not only did Gilgeous-Alexander average 31.0 points per game while shooting 54.7 percent from the floor, but he also ended up being awarded the Western Conference Player of the Week award. This marks the third time that SGA has been awarded the Player of the Week award this season, the most in the league. Aside from being Player of the Week yet again, Gilgeous-Alexander extended his historic 20-point streak to 113 straight games. This streak was threatened on Thursday against the Houston Rockets, as the Thunder guard had a season-low 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting in a 111-91 win vs. Houston. Gilgeous-Alexander is closing in on Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 126 consecutive games with 20-plus points, which would surely boost his resume for MVP. 2. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets* Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Previous ranking: #1 2025-26 season stats: 32 games, 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 11.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 60.5 FG%, 43.5 3P% Whether or not NBA MVP voters penalize Jokic for missing games, assuming he returns in time and doesn’t miss more than 17 games, is a big question in this MVP race. Looking at his numbers and impact alone, there is no argument that Jokic has put together one of the most historic seasons in NBA history in just 32 games. But again, availability matters because of the 65-game minimum rule, and that could just sink Jokic’s chances of claiming another MVP award. Even if Jokic does return in a week or two, remaining in good standing with the participation rules, he won’t be able to miss any games the rest of the way. Should this happen and Jokic remains available for Denver, it will be hard to argue against him winning this race over Gilgeous-Alexander. 3. Jaylen Brown – Boston Celtics Brett Davis-Imagn Images Previous ranking: #3 2025-26 season stats: 38 games, 29.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.0 steals, 49.1 FG%, 36.7 3P% Outside of Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic remaining at the top of the MVP rankings, there is definitely a debate to be had for the next grouping of players and where they stand in the award race. Jaylen Brown is one of those players, as his sensational year in Boston continues. Brown has recorded at least 25 points in seven of his last eight games, including five straight games. Not only is Brown scoring at a high rate, but he is…