It’s official- Captain Serious is back in the NHL. The 37-year-old Jonathan Toews and the Winnipeg Jets have made a verbal agreement on a contract that will be signed on July 1st when free agency opens.
It was a big morning for the city of Winnipeg and the Jets, as the agreement was met with widespread enthusiasm. The Jets prepared a video, multiple graphics, and even showed a video of a young Toews in a Jets jacket and a Manitoba Moose hat.
The cherry on top? Dakota Community Centre put up the graphic on their sign reading “he’s home.”
Even Winnipeg’s professional baseball team, the Goldeyes, got in on showing the longtime NHLer and newest member of the Jets some love as they posted a photo of Toews throwing the ceremonial opening pitch on June 2, 2007.
With the widespread enthusiasm in the city of Winnipeg, the buzz around the NHL was just as strong. The Blackhawks posted a statement on Toews’ signing.
Blackhawks fans will certainly circle the date on their calendar when their former captain, who helped bring three Stanley Cups to their city, makes his long-awaited return to the United Center.
Toews will carry a $2,000,000 cap hit, but can make more with performance bonuses and playoff success in Winnipeg.
There are $5,000,000 tied to this contract in bonuses. See the breakdown below:
- $550,000 each for 20/30/40/50/60 games played
- $500,000 if the Jets make the playoffs and Toews plays 50 games
- $250,000 each for Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3 wins (with Toews playing 50 percent of games)
- $1 million for a Stanley Cup win (with Toews playing 50 percent of games)
The longtime Chicago Blackhawks captain hasn’t played since April 2023. The Blackhawks opted not to re-sign him after the 2022-23 season, and Toews would end up missing the following two seasons. Toews would also miss the 2020-21 season as he was recovering from Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and symptoms of long COVID.
At this stage in Toews’ career, he is an incredibly valuable asset to the Jets’ locker room as they prepare for the 2025-26 season. Toews has won World Juniors gold medals, Olympic gold medals, World Cup gold medals, World Championship gold medals, and three Stanley Cup Championships. What isn’t there to like about his resume?
It is also important to note that Toews will get a long look at where he can fit in the Jets’ lineup. Whether that’s a top-six impact or a depth role, he will be utilized as a key faceoff performer and dependable for key defensive zone draws.
Given the factors of this signing, it becomes clearer that as long as Toews’ health holds, the Jets are primed for success. The Jets get some extra time to hold onto their draft picks and assess the situation on the ice as the team gets into full swing for the offseason.
ITR 43: It's Winning Time – Inside The Rink
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