The Hall of Fame career for forward Jonathan Toews, who spent the majority of his playing days with the Chicago Blackhawks, has officially come to a close. Toews announced his retirement earlier on Friday during a press conference in Winnipeg following his first and only season playing with the Winnipeg Jets, his hometown team.
But he’ll forever be known for captaining the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup wins in 2010, 2013, and 2015. During his time in Chicago, Toews also led the Blackhawks to an additional pair of appearances in the Western Conference Final in 2009 and 2014.
After his retirement was made official, Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz delivered a heartfelt message to the former captain, whose jersey No. 19 will soon hang from the rafters at United Center.
In part, the statement from Wirtz read:
“When Jonathan Toews arrived in Chicago, this franchise was still searching for its way back. We named him captain at just 20 years old. It was a lot to ask of anyone at that age, but he embraced the role with the seriousness it required. For the next 15 years, he was the heartbeat of the Blackhawks, restoring this proud franchise back to the top of the hockey world and giving a generation of fans a reason to fall in love with this team all over again.
He led by example, carrying the responsibility of captain with humility, integrity, and determination. He was as serious a competitor as any player this city has ever cheered for. He was never, ever, willing to be outworked and earned the respect of teammates, opponents, coaches and fans through the way he approached the game.”
Toews retires after having scored 383 goals with 529 assists in 1,149 career NHL games.
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