One Big Comeback: What Toews Means for Winnipeg Now

If anyone thought this season was going to be easy for Jonathan Toews, they need to think again. Most fans know him from his long career with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he teamed with Patrick Kane to take home a few Stanley Cup championships.

Then came COVID and the pandemic. Toews wasn’t one of the lucky ones. He contracted a case of what’s called long-COVID, and it took him years to recover. He tried everything, from travelling to India to holistic medicine. Diligently seeking a cure, he finally recovered his health and felt ready to play hockey again.

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Toews’ Play with the Jets Has Improved

During the offseason, he happily signed on with his hometown Winnipeg Jets. Would he be a game-changer on a team that had lost one of its mainstays when Nikolaj Ehlers signed with the Carolina Hurricanes? The first half of the 2025-26 season sure didn’t look like it. Then Toews started playing better.

It looks like Toews is finally finding his stride again. He’s not quite the Chicago version of “Captain Serious,” but he’s starting to get back to that level. Toews seems to be getting comfortable again, starting to play more like the leader we remember from Chicago.

Not all the way there, but the turn is real. He’s learning to pace himself, heading to the right spots without overthinking it. Slowly but surely, his savvy is translating into actual chances near the net.

Toews Reaches Points 901 Against the Minnesota Wild

In Minnesota the other night, he hit a huge career milestone with points 900 and 901. Seven points in nine games, plus a steadying influence through an 11-game grind, show he’s not just a stat line. He’s someone the team leans on when things get tricky.

It wasn’t exactly easy to hit that stride. After three years away, it felt like stepping onto a treadmill already at high speed, he said. Even with all his experience, the game doesn’t wait for anyone. He seems to have found his rhythm and can finally keep up.

Toews Resurgence Has Come at a Perfect Time for His Jets

Keeping up with the pace is exactly what Toews has done. Last week, he put up goals in four straight games. His scoring helped the Jets end a horrible losing streak and come to play better hockey. He’s helped shift the team’s season. When a veteran like Toews hits his stride, everyone around him benefits.

For Winnipeg, Toews’ resurgence has been a shot of energy. The team is lifted by his play. The future Hall of Famer, a guy who’s faced the pressures of big moments before, knows how to steady a ship. And, that’s what’s started to happen.

If this is the Toews we’re seeing now, fully back in his element, there’s reason for Jets fans to believe this season could turn on a dime. But is it too late? If not, Jets fans might look back and declare that Toews’s leadership is what any team would be lucky to have.

Related: What Happens Now With Winnipeg’s Jonathan Toews?