Jonathan was born to Bryan Toews, an electrician at the University of Manitoba, and Andrée Gilbert, a native of Sainte-Marie, Quebec, who was the managing director and finance expert for a credit union in the Winnipeg region before retiring to oversee Toews' media relations.[3] He is bilingual, speaking fluent French and English.[4]
Like Toews, his brother David also attended Shattuck-Saint Mary's and began his freshman year at the University of North Dakota in 2008–09.[5] His cousin Kai Toews is a professional basketball player.[6]
Toews played two seasons at the University of North Dakota, compiling 85 points (40 goals and 45 assists), a +38 plus-minus rating and a 56.7% faceoff winning percentage in 76 games. He helped UND reach the NCAA Frozen Four in both 2006 and 2007, serving as an alternate captain in his sophomore season.[9] Toews registered 39 points as a freshman and earned Rookie of the Week honours twice.[10] He helped North Dakota capture the Broadmoor Trophy as Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) conference champions and also was named West Regional MVP after tallying five points.[10]
2007–2011: Early career, start of captaincy, first Stanley Cup title, Conn Smythe Trophy
In 2007–08, he opted out of his final two years of college hockey eligibility to debut with the Blackhawks after signing a three-year, entry-level contract on May 16, 2007.[13] He scored his first career NHL goal on his first shot in his first game on October 10, 2007, against the San Jose Sharks. He then recorded the second-longest point-scoring streak to start an NHL career, registering a point in each of his first ten games (five goals and five assists).[14] On January 1, 2008, Toews sprained his knee in a game against the Los Angeles Kings.[15] Despite missing 16 games from the injury, Toews led all rookies in goal-scoring and finished third in points. Toews finished second in team scoring behind fellow rookie Patrick Kane. Toews and Kane battled all season for the lead in team and rookie scoring before Toews went down to injury. The two were both nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL rookie of the year along with Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Bäckström;[16] Toews finished as a runner-up to winner Kane.[17][18]
Following his successful rookie campaign, Toews was named team captain of the Blackhawks on July 18, 2008. At 20 years and 79 days, he became the third-youngest team captain in NHL history, behind Sidney Crosby and Vincent Lecavalier.[14] This feat was later surpassed by Gabriel Landeskog and Connor McDavid.[19] Toews had previously been named an alternate captain in December 2007, during the 2007–08 season.[20] In the subsequent season, he was voted as a starter, along with teammates Patrick Kane and Brian Campbell, for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montreal, Quebec.[21] He netted his first career hat-trick in the NHL on February 27, 2009, in a 5–4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.[22] Toews finished the 2008–09 season with 69 points (34 goals, 35 assists) in all 82 games,[23] helping the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup playoff appearance since 2002.[24] He then added 13 points in 17 playoff games as the Blackhawks advanced to the Western Conference Finals,[25] where they were eliminated by the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings in five games.[26]
Less than a month into the 2009–10 season, Toews was sidelined with concussion-like symptoms after receiving an open-ice hit from defenceman Willie Mitchell in a 3–2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on October 21, 2009. Toews had his head down while receiving a pass in the neutral zone when Mitchell left the penalty box and checked him with his shoulder.[27][28] Toews was sidelined for six games before returning to the line-up.[29][30] In the final year of his contract, Toews, as well as teammates Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane, agreed to extensions in early-December 2009. His deal was structured similarly to Kane's, worth about $6.5 million annually for five seasons.[31] On March 5, 2010, Toews recorded his 100th NHL assist on a goal scored by Jordan Hendry in a 6–3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Toews finished the season with 68 points (25 goals, 43 assists) in 76 games.[32] During the second round of the 2010 playoffs, Toews recorded his second career hat-trick, along with two assists on goals by Patrick Sharp and Brent Seabrook, leading the Blackhawks in a 7–4 playoff victory against the Vancouver Canucks on May 7.[33] On June 9, Toews led Chicago to the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship since 1961, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of the Finals. He became the second-youngest captain in the history of the NHL to win the Cup, behind Sidney Crosby, who led the Pittsburgh Penguins to the championship the previous season. Toews scored seven goals and 22 assists for 29 points in all 22 games in the playoffs, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.[34] By winning the Stanley Cup, he also became the youngest player, at 22 years of age, to become a member of the Triple Gold Club (Olympic gold, the Stanley Cup and World Championship).[35]
In the off-season, Toews was selected to be the cover player for EA Sports' video game NHL 11 on June 21, 2010. It marked the first time in EA Sports history that two players of the same team were featured on a video game cover two years in a row, as teammate Patrick Kane had been on the cover of NHL 10.[36]
On January 16, 2011, Toews scored his 100th NHL goal in a 6–3 win over the Nashville Predators on Predators' goaltender Anders Lindbäck.[37] During the 2010–11 season, Toews recorded a career-high 76 points (32 goals, 44 assists) in 80 games. The defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks narrowly qualified for the 2011 playoffs, ending the season as the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference, beating out the Dallas Stars for the final playoff spot by just two points after both the Blackhawks and Stars lost their season finales against the Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild, respectively. Down three games to none in the opening round against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks, the Blackhawks won three straight games to force a deciding Game 7. In the contest on April 26, 2011, Toews scored a short-handed game-tying goal on Canucks' goaltender Roberto Luongo with 1:26 remaining in regulation. Canucks forward Alex Burrows, however, went on to score five minutes into the ensuing overtime period to eliminate the Blackhawks.[38] Toews had four points (a goal and three assists) in the seven-game series. Toews was named a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward (along with Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings and Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks, respectively) for the first time in his career, which was ultimately awarded to Kesler.[39]
2011–2020: Selke Trophy, two more Stanley Cups, "Captain Serious" era
Toews was to play in the 2012 All-Star Game, but an injury sustained during a 5–2 loss to the Nashville Predators on January 21, 2012, kept him from playing; he was replaced by Scott Hartnell.[40] Toews finished the 2011–12 season with 57 points (29 goals, 28 assists) in an injury-shortened year as the Blackhawks as a team finished the season as the sixth seed in the Western Conference.[41] He returned to play in the first game in the opening round 2012 playoffs against the third seeded Phoenix Coyotes on April 12. Toews scored the overtime winner against Coyotes' goaltender Mike Smith in Game 5 on April 21 to send the series back to Chicago for Game 6,[42] In game six on April 23, the Coyotes won the game 4–0 to eliminate the Blackhawks from the playoffs with a 4–2 series defeat.[43]
Toews during a Blackhawks practice in December 2011
Toews scored the second natural hat-trick of his NHL career on October 29, 2013, against Craig Anderson of the Ottawa Senators.[45] The 2013–14 season finished as another productive campaign for Toews. In 76 games, he scored 28 goals and 40 assists for 68 points and throughout the season earned the moniker "Captain Serious" by his peers.[46] The Blackhawks' 2014 playoff run lasted to overtime of Game 7 of the Western Conference Final against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings, and Toews put up 17 points (nine goals and eight assists) in all 19 games. For the second year in a row, he finished as a finalist for the Selke Trophy, though he came third in voting behind the winner Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins and first runner-up Anže Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings.[47]
On July 9, 2014, the Blackhawks announced that Toews, along with teammate Patrick Kane, had signed an eight-year extension with the Blackhawks at an average annual salary of $10.5 million. The contract came into effect on July 1, 2015, for the 2015–16 season.[48] During Game 7 of the 2015 Western Conference Final on May 30, 2015, Toews scored the game's first two goals en route to a 5–3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks and 4–3 series victory.[49] In the Finals, Toews led the Blackhawks to their third Stanley Cup championship in six seasons after the team's Game 6 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, 2–0 for a 4–2 series win.[50] On June 24, Toews was named the recipient of the Mark Messier Leadership Award, awarded to the individual "in recognition of his commitment and service to charities in his community," as well as exemplifying a superior leadership ability in hockey, beating-out fellow finalists Ryan Getzlaf and Andrew Ladd.[51] Toews also won an ESPY Award for 'Best NHL Player' in 2015.[52]Electronic Arts selected Toews to appear on the cover of NHL 16.[53]
Toews was selected to play in the 2016 All-Star Game, but missed the game on account of illness. He was suspended for one game per NHL rules for not attending the All-Star game.[54]
Toews' productivity declined during the 2017–18 season, where he posted a career-low 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists) in 74 games and the Blackhawks would miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008, Toews' rookie season and the first time under his captaincy.[57]
In the 2018 off-season, Toews adopted a new training regimen and nutrition plan to help him better prepare for the upcoming season.[57] Despite the Blackhawks missing the playoffs for the second straight season, An individually rejuvenated Toews tallied a career-high 35 goals, 46 assists and 81 points while appearing in all 82 contests for Chicago during the 2018–19 season.[58]
Toews appeared in all 70 games during the 2019–20 season, which ended three weeks early due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. He recorded 18 goals and 42 assists for 60 points during the campaign. Toews also totaled a team-high nine points in nine games during the 2020 playoffs.[59]
2020–2023: Final years in Chicago, team and health struggles
On December 29, 2020, shortly before the start of the pandemic-shortened 2020–21 season, the Blackhawks announced Toews would be out indefinitely while recovering from an undisclosed illness.[60] He missed the entire season before announcing in June 2021 that he was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) and that he planned to return for the 2021–22 season.[61]
In September 2021, he said an antibody test revealed he had COVID-19 at some point during the previous season.[62] Toews played the 1000th regular season game of his career against the Florida Panthers on March 31, 2022.[63] Toews appeared in 71 games for the Blackhawks, where he recorded 12 goals and 25 assists for a career-low 37 points.[64] He also maintained a 57% faceoff win-rate, which was third best in the NHL among centers with at least 1000 faceoff draws.[64]
Toews bounced back during the first half of the 2022–23 season with 14 goals and assists for 28 points in 46 appearances. However, Toews' health deteriorated midway through the season causing him to miss several weeks. He announced on February 19, 2023, that he was still suffering from symptoms of long COVID and CIRS. He offered no timetable for his return, commenting, "it has reached the point where I had no choice but to step back and concentrate on getting healthy."[65] Toews returned to the Blackhawks' lineup after a two-month absence on April 1, against the New Jersey Devils.[66] On April 13, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson announced that the team would not re-sign Toews after his contract expired at the end of the season.[67]
On August 17, Toews announced he was not retiring from the NHL, but rather sitting out the 2023–24 season to focus on his health.[68]
In 2005, Toews captained Canada West at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge to a gold medal. He scored the game-winning goal in a 3–1 win over Canada Pacific in the championship game.[69] He finished with 12 points, ranked first in tournament scoring, and was named tournament MVP.[70]
In 2007, Toews earned a second-straight World Junior gold medal. In the tournament semi-final against the United States, Toews scored three times in the shootout to advance to the final. With seven points, Toews led Canada in scoring and was named to the Tournament All-Star team alongside teammate Carey Price. Shortly after his gold medal win, Toews was honoured by his hometown American Hockey League (AHL) team, the Manitoba Moose, on February 3, 2007, as he was presented with an honorary jersey for his tournament efforts.[73]
Toews guards the puck from Ryan Suter during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
That same year, Toews also made his senior international debut at the 2007 World Championships and recorded seven points in nine games competing against mostly professional players after just his second year of college hockey (at the time of selection, Toews had not yet turned professional). Canada earned gold over Finland 4–2 in the championship game. After the victory, Toews became the first Canadian to win a World Junior championship and a World Championship in the same year.[74] On June 29, 2007, Toews was awarded the Order of the Buffalo Hunt, an award given by the Province of Manitoba in honour of sporting achievements, for his play in the junior and senior world championships.[75]
After Toews' rookie year in the NHL, he competed in his second World Championships in 2008. In the finals, Canada was defeated by Russia 4–5 in overtime, winning the silver medal.[76]
On December 30, 2009, Toews was selected to play for Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. He was named to the squad along with Blackhawks teammates Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith.[77] He ended the tournament with a team-leading eight points, while his seven assists tied with Pavol Demitra of Slovakia for the tournament lead. Toews' lone goal of the tournament opened the scoring in Canada's 3–2 overtime win in the gold medal game against the United States. As a result, he was awarded Best Forward and tournament all-star team honours.[78] At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, he scored the first goal in the gold medal game against Sweden on the way to Canada's second-straight Olympic gold medal.[79]
Personal life
In January 2007, Toews and former North Dakota teammate T. J. Oshie received alcohol-related citations for being minors in a Grand Forks, North Dakota, tavern.[80][81] Toews and Oshie pleaded guilty to the charges.[82] The two were later placed on probation and ordered to perform community service.[83]
In the spring of 2010, a large mural of Toews visible from the Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago received a degree of notoriety. The mural depicted Toews with an abnormally shaped nose and mouth, posed beside a picture of the Stanley Cup.[84] Toews would end up holding the Cup after winning it later that year. He commented on the mural, stating: "I guess it's from a picture and they must have embellished it a little bit. They're not helping me by any means."[85]
Following the celebration of Toews bringing the Stanley Cup to his hometown of Winnipeg, the Province of Manitoba announced that it would be naming a northern lake after Toews in honour of his success.[86] The lake is located 150 km (93 mi) north of Flin Flon and is named Toews Lake.[87] The same day, the Dakota Community Centre in St. Vital where Toews first played organized hockey was renamed the Jonathan Toews Community Centre.[87] Additionally, he was given the Keys to the City to honour his achievement and strong work ethic.[88]
Toews holds onto the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to him after the Stanley Cup Finals; as his teammate, Patrick Kane, hoists the Stanley Cup during the 2010 Stanley Cup victory parade
Toews hoists the Stanley Cup during the 2013 Stanley Cup victory parade
Toews hoists the Stanley Cup during the 2015 Stanley Cup victory rally
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