Toews calls – Jonathan Toews is stepping away after a final season with the Winnipeg Jets, saying he wanted to chase one more Stanley Cup run in his hometown—and admitting the way things unraveled left him heartbroken, even as he praised the leadership inside the Jets’ room
Jonathan Toews didn’t come to Winnipeg with the simple goal of logging 82 games in a Jets jersey.
He pictured something bigger—workouts, rehab sessions, and the hard days in between all pulled toward one end point: a Stanley Cup making its way down Portage Avenue.
“Every workout, every rehab session, every difficult day was fueled by something bigger,” he said. “To get reacquainted with the city and the reception was incredible.”
For Toews, the timing mattered. His late 20s and early 30s had been spent mostly away from Winnipeg, with summers in Chicago, and this return had a different weight than a typical season. Still, he didn’t hide what the dream turned into when the playoffs didn’t go the way everyone wanted.
“I’m not gonna lie, you visualize the dream of coming home and winning a playoff series and going on a run and winning a Stanley Cup and playing the hero and all those things, and when things go sideways a little bit, it was heartbreaking.”
He left no doubt that his frustration wasn’t only about the result—it was about what he felt he could have done more to help the team.
“I felt like I wish I could have done more and wanted to do more for the team and for the boys and for Mark Chipman, for everyone that gave me the opportunity.”
Toews isn’t a stranger to Winnipeg hockey. He squared off against the Jets 40 times during his career with the Chicago Blackhawks, building a level of respect that now carries into a different chapter.
This past season, he said, gave him a new perspective—and an even greater appreciation—for Josh Morrissey, Mark Scheifele, Connor Hellebuyck, Kyle Connor, Adam Lowry, and the rest of the Jets roster.
In the room, he singled out the way certain players create advantages in ways that don’t always show up in one highlight. He described Morrissey as “J-Mo,” an “elite defenceman” whose playmaking, skating with the puck, and competitive nature stood out.
With Scheifele. Toews compared him to Patrick Kane—“Kaner”—saying Scheifele is “bigger and maybe stronger. a little bit faster. ” but that what separates him is how methodically he approaches the game. In Toews’ view. Scheifele doesn’t need to lean on pure size or speed because he’s able to manage space with the puck.
He also spoke warmly about the balance the Jets struck in their leadership and energy. Toews called Kyle Connor and Adam Lowry “incredible talents. ” and said being in Lowry’s locker-room presence was one of the highlights. Lowry. he said. “is always having fun. ” “always keeping it light. ” and is the kind of veteran who says what the team needs to hear when the moment calls for it.
“So, I mean, I have so much respect for him and the leadership, the leadership group,” Toews said. “So, again, just a great locker room makes me sad. I won’t be a part of it again next year.”
There was another decision at the center of his departure—one that felt more personal than anything on the stat sheet. Toews said he got to decide when it was time to retire.
For much of the year before, it looked like the choice might be forced by something outside his control.
“I mean, I feel it,” he said. “You kind of feel the flow of your life and your career.”
He spoke about the difference between pushing against that flow and understanding it.
“I know there’s some guys that maybe fight against that flow, and they want to keep going, and they’re not getting any offers, any calls,” Toews said. “But I think in some ways that I’ve just kind of felt in the situation and really realized that it’s time for me.”
The Jets season that brought Toews home may not have delivered the ending he envisioned on Portage Avenue. But as he closed the door on one more run. what stayed with him wasn’t only the disappointment—it was the chance to chase the dream one last time. and the people he came to respect along the way.
Jonathan Toews Winnipeg Jets Mark Chipman Stanley Cup Portage Avenue Connor Hellebuyck Josh Morrissey Mark Scheifele Kyle Connor Adam Lowry retirement
82 games, then done. Kinda wild.
So he’s retiring because the Jets didn’t win? I mean yeah heartbreaking but also… it’s hockey, stuff happens. I feel like everyone says “Portage Avenue” like that automatically makes it a movie. Hope he lands somewhere nice.
Not gonna lie I thought this was about some injury thing, like he got shut down medically or whatever. But it’s more like he wanted one last Cup run in his hometown and it didn’t work. Also “Mark Chipman” like that’s the guy right? I don’t really follow Jets management, sorry, just seems like the team “unraveled” which is a weird way to blame nobody.
Heartbroken?? man I get it but every athlete says the dream then it doesn’t happen, then they act surprised. He was with the Hawks too right so maybe he should’ve stayed there? Winnipeg fans are gonna be like “we loved you” but also he only had one season. Idk, sounds like he wanted to be the hero and when he couldn’t he just clocked out.