Chicago Blackhawks Owe Jonathan Toews a One-Day Contract to Retire – The Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks

Jonathan Toews left Chicago in 2023 without a proper farewell. He already said goodbye to the NHL when he announced his retirement on June 19, but after playing one year for his hometown Winnipeg Jets after a two year hiatus, it’s fitting that he deserves one last hurrah in Chicago.

Why It Should Happen Soon

Chicago was where it all began for Toews. He was the third overall pick of the 2006 NHL Draft. Two years later, he was named the youngest captain in team history.

Since then, he not only became an icon in Chicago but a hockey legend during his years in the league. Winning three Stanley Cups, the 2010 Conn Smythe Trophy winner and a four-time all-star, there shouldn’t be any doubt that honoring him should come sooner rather than later.

“We’d love to have Jonathan back and bring him back,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said. “Nothing is set in stone or anything, but I think it’s likely we’ll go down (that path).”

When Patrick Kane signed a two-year contract on July 23, it became a topic of discussion on possibly bringing Toews back this season as part of a final sendoff for everything he has achieved with the Hawks.

“The team is heading in the right direction and he’ll bring such good experience and leadership for the young guys in that room. (It) will be cool for the young stars to see first-hand what impact they can have when Kaner gets back on the ice at the United Center,” Toews said (from ‘Patrick Kane returns to Chicago Blackhawks on 2-year, $8 million AAV deal’, The New York Times, July 23, 2026).

By the time his Blackhawks career ended, he had played 1,067 regular-season games for Chicago, recording 883 points (372 goals, 511 assists).

One Day Will Mean a Lot

While it seemed clear that Toews was going to hang up the skates after last season with the Jets, doesn’t mean that his legacy for the Hawks should be pushed aside.

Even if it would be a one-day contract to officially retire in Chicago, with Kane returning to help this young core, it will mean a lot to Chicago fans.

Toews was away from the league for two years as he battled with the effects from long COVID-19 and chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), announcing on social media after the 2022-23 season that it wasn’t a retirement.

Why He Deserves One

The short answer to this would be “because he’s a sporting icon.” This will be about how he helped build a legacy that, after 16 years with the franchise, put the Hawks back on the map with the 2010s dynasty led by him and Kane.

The Blackhawks have done this before. Marian Hossa signed a one-day contract with Chicago in April 2022 so he could officially retire as a member of the organization and had his number 81 retired on Nov. 20, 2022. Toews deserves the same opportunity.

Connor Bedard is now the face of the franchise. A new generation is beginning to define what Chicago hockey will look like. That’s exactly why moments like this matter. The organization can build its future without forgetting its past.

The organization itself called Toews as one of the most impactful players in franchise history. It was fitting for the Winnipeg-native to play his final season at home, but Chicago is where Toews became the legend the city relied on the most.

He was drafted by a team searching for identity. From 2003-2007, they finished last in two of three seasons and searching for results. Drafting Toews in 2006 and Kane a year later, the rest is history. When the day comes where he officially retires a Blackhawk, whether it’s during the home opener or a little later in this upcoming season, it’s going to be a well-deserved contract for certain.