WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Jonathan Toews is still Jonathan Toews.
He still mentally processes hockey at an elite level. He still dominates faceoffs. He’s still quiet and thoughtful most of the time, with the ability to get loud when necessary. His two years away from the sport while undergoing a unique healing journey changed his body somewhat but didn’t change him.
He simply wears blue now instead of red. He’s the second-line center for the Jets, not the captain of the Blackhawks. That’s what’s different — and although it’s purely aesthetic, it is jarring.
“I’ve really enjoyed being back home in Winnipeg,” Toews said Thursday.
The 37-year-old has steadily assuaged skepticism about his ability to perform at an NHL level at his age and after his time away. He entered Thursday with five points in 10 games while averaging 15:54 of ice time per game — a perfectly normal stat line.
He hasn’t been perfect, but he has been fine. He’s not flashy, but he fulfills his duties. And in these circumstances, that’s impressive.
“Every day, he’s gotten better,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said. “We just went through a stretch of…five games in eight days. That was a big test, and I thought he came through.
“I don’t think I ever had doubts. He’s too creative an athlete. He’s so driven. [He has] his mindset, his determination, all those things that we saw in Chicago for so many years. … I met him in the summertime in August, and I think he wanted to play the next day if he could.”
Finding his legs
Toews feels satisfied with how his body is holding up and recovering. As the 82-game grind continues and one month turns into two or three, his stamina will continue to be monitored, especially during the Jets’ two long road trips coming up in November.
Analyzing his on-ice performance reveals a mixed bag of results, and Toews indeed described his play as “good but not great.”
His 64.1% faceoff percentage ranks second in the league — exceeding even his lofty career average — and he has been effective on the second unit of the Jets’ excellent power play.
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During his five-on-five shifts, however, the Jets have been out-shot 57-31 and outscored 7-3. His speed and quickness have become weaknesses, inhibiting his ability to act upon his instincts.
He’s no longer the defensive maestro he once was. His puck control has been iffy, too, but that should improve over time.
“I’m just trying to go out there and play loose, play with some confidence,” Toews said. “One thing that’s easy to struggle with is…you get a little jumpy or anxious sometimes, and [you] make plays a little bit quick. Sometimes you have more time than you think. So to me, it’s just [about] finding my legs and finding my ability to relax with the puck.”
He briefly paused that process Thursday morning to reflect on his 15-year Hawks’ tenure before his first-ever matchup against them. It’s remarkable that Connor Murphy and Teuvo Teravainen are the only Hawks left who spent significant time with him.
“There’s a lot of years in Chicago that felt like Groundhog’s Day because it felt like the same group of guys, the same coaching staff, and the same continuity,” Toews said. “You start to think that things are never going to change, or at least you just assume that’s the way things are with every organization. But then things change really fast, and then here we are.
“I’ve always said I’m very thankful for how things went in Chicago. It was definitely a dream. I had some tougher years towards the end of my time there that help you put things in perspective.
“[They] make you realize the success we had is what everyone in the league is going after, and it’s a really, really hard thing to do.”
Young Hawks
Aside from Murphy and Teravainen, the 2025-26 Hawks are — from Toews’ perspective — basically an unfamiliar team wearing familiar jerseys. He’s still interested in their progress, though.
“Ultimately, the fans in Chicago are incredible,” Toews said. “It’s nice to see that they have something to cheer for and some great young talent that’s really getting the United Center rocking again.”
Arniel also spoke at length about his view from afar of the Hawks’ improvement.
“[With the] coaching change, they’ve come in and put a lot of emphasis on defending,” Arniel said. “They’re buying in right now. You can really see it. They’re not giving up odd-man rushes; they’re not letting you get into a track meet. They’re doing a really good job. They have some young talent that, if you make mistakes, can put pucks in the net.
“That’s pretty much going to be my message tonight: don’t underestimate this team. This isn’t the team that we’ve seen the last couple years.”
