Toews played all 15 of his NHL seasons with Chicago after the Blackhawks selected him in the first round (No. 3) of the 2006 NHL Draft. The forward was named team captain in 2008, and led the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups (2010, 2013, and 2015).

With 883 points (372 goals, 511 assists) in 1,067 regular season games, Toews added 119 points (45 goals, 74 assists) in 137 playoff games for the Blackhawks. His accolades include the 2010 Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the 2013 Frank J. Selke Trophy as the League’s best defensive forward, the 2015 Mark Messier Leadership Award, and two Olympic gold medals for Canada (2010 and 2014).

On May 29, Toews’ agent, Pat Brisson, told NHL.com he was “moving forward” with a comeback, and on June 20, the Jets announced via social media that the Winnipeg native was “COMING HOME.”

“There was a little while when I didn’t want to give too much thought to hockey and tried to get it off my mind,” Toews said. “But as I got closer and started thinking I could play again, you know… I don’t know. It was hard to really see myself wearing any other jersey. I think day by day, this is becoming more real and it will as we get closer to the season, too, and I’m looking forward to it. It’s an exciting time and it’s another fresh opportunity.”

“I think he’s true to himself,” Cheveldayoff said. “He didn’t announce a comeback, but announced he was going to try to make a comeback well in advance of him making that final decision.”

Toews’ decision also holds true to his time playing minor hockey in Winnipeg, where he found his lifelong passion for the game.

“All the memories flooded back from my childhood,” Toews said, “of just why and when I first fell in love with the game of hockey.”

“For now,” Toews added, “I get to go out and put this sweater on and be part of this team and just enjoy all the good and maybe the not-so-good of what it takes to be an NHL hockey player. And knowing that the time is limited for all of us — just really connecting with that childhood passion again is really important.”