The Chicago Blackhawks have had some special players come through town over the last two decades. A lot of them helped the franchise win three Stanley Cups over a span of six seasons, creating a modern-day dynasty.
Few of those players were as special, talented, or important as Jonathan Toews. In 2010, Jonathan Toews became the youngest captain to ever hoist the Stanley Cup, and he has gone on to become one of the most legendary players in franchise history.
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On Saturday night, the organization honored over 25 alumni as they honored “The Banner Years” chapter of their centennial season.
Toews was unable to be one of those players recognized, as he is still an active player in the NHL. On Monday night, he will make his first-ever visit to the United Center as a visiting player, representing the Winnipeg Jets.
The Jets are Toews’ hometown team, and he signed with them last summer after a two-year hiatus from the NHL. Toews, in a recent video posted by the Jets online, talked about what this means to him.
“I’m excited to go back; it’s going to be strange,” Toews said. “We won championships, exceeded expectations. Nobody knew how crazy it was going to be.”
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Toews will get one of the warmest welcomes a player has ever received from his former team. It will be similar to the one that the crowd gave to Patrick Kane when he returned as a member of the Detroit Red Wings.
“You never really know what the reception is going to be like and how it’s going to feel in the moment,” Patrick Kane said of Toews’ return to play against the Blackhawks. “You take guesses and kind of think about what it’s going to be like. I remember I did three or four laps, and they were still cheering. I’m sure it’s going to be the same for him. Maybe more.”
There has been a lot of nostalgia floating around the United Center over the past few weeks with the third chapter celebrating “The Banner Years”, so Toews’s return couldn’t have come at a better time.
Will Toews score an overtime winner like Kane did in his return? Well, anything is possible. He’d like to help his Jets keep their hot little stretch going with a win over his old team in one way or another.
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For the current Blackhawks players, this is another opportunity to see the love that they can receive if they win big as members of the Blackhawks.
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