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.
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