#articles25

The hockey world was skeptical when Jonathan Toews announced his intent to return to the NHL. At times, so was Toews himself.

The 37-year-old Winnipegger is all about his hometown Jets, of course. He’s stoked that Kyle Connor just signed a long-term contract extension and that this talented and accomplished core will be chasing the Stanley Cup for years to come. The little market that could deserves nothing less, and this guy is bursting with hometown pride.

But like a lot of other hockey fans, this one grew awfully fond of the Chicago Blackhawks during their championship years in the 2010s. So when the Jets are off and the Hawks are on, it’s a safe bet that he’s watching from home.

No, Jonathan Toews can’t quite quit the Blackhawks.

“They’ve been fun to watch — they have a lot of good, young talent,” Toews told The Athletic on Monday. “I think Kyle (Davidson) and Norm (Maciver) have a pretty good idea of where the team has come from and what we’ve lacked as far as replenishing the team with draft picks. And now they have a good idea where the team is headed. There’s no guarantees, but it looks like some of the young picks are going to turn into good players.”

Yes, that was a “we” in there. You can take the captain out of Chicago, but you can’t take the Chicago out of the captain. So it’s no surprise Toews has had Thursday’s home game against the Blackhawks circled on his calendar ever since he signed a one-year contract with the Jets after two years away from the game for health reasons.

“I’ll be ready, that’s for sure,” he said.

Ready for what, though? The only Blackhawks left whom Toews spent any significant time with are Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson. Nick Foligno is wearing Toews’ “C.” Connor Bedard is wearing Toews’ burden. Other than the equipment and support staff — almost all of whom Toews rattled off by name, the smile on his face evident in his voice — these are his Blackhawks in laundry only.

“I’ve been watching them a lot on TV and it’s strange — it does feel like a completely different team,” he said. “They’re just wearing the same jerseys.”

It’s been more than 30 months since Toews played his final game in that jersey, scoring one last goal before a raucous and appreciative United Center crowd. Given his age and chronic health issues, which hindered his fitness and his recovery over that last season, it seemed reasonable to believe it would be the last time Toews would wear any NHL uniform.

Jonathan Toews’ last game for the Chicago Blackhawks was on April 13, 2023. Many thought it would be his last in the NHL.

But Toews’ well-documented healing journey over two long years away has brought him back to hockey, back to his native Winnipeg, and back to those dirty areas around the net and in the corners where he made his living for all those years in Chicago. The colors are unfamiliar, but the hallmarks are all there — the heavy stride, the savvy stick, the fiery facial expressions contorted with concentration. A step slower, perhaps, but still Jonathan Toews. Still pretty darn good.

It’s been a remarkable story, perhaps underplayed league-wide because it’s been tucked away in Manitoba, far from the spotlight. Remember, Toews’ comeback bid was greeted with a heavy dose of skepticism back in March when he made his intentions clear. After he signed with the Jets, the hockey world wondered if he’d even make it out of training camp.

So did Toews, from time to time.

“I’ve always been pretty confident that my game is in there,” he said. “I watch hockey and I can still see things that I did well, and things that I understood about the game — things that a lot of young players with tons of skill and tons of energy, flying all over the ice, still have to learn. I had confidence I could go in and contribute. But a little fear, a little doubt will creep in once in a while. In a way, it’s a good motivating factor, to keep you grounded.”

Toews talks a lot about that these days: staying grounded, living in the moment, smelling the roses. That was never his strong suit as a player in Chicago. He’d take a bad shift back with him to the bench and chew out his linemates. He’d take a bad game home with him and spend the night staring at the ceiling instead of sleeping. He’d dwell on the negative, stew on it, even as he was winning championships and gold medals and the Conn Smythe and Selke trophies.

His time away from the game forced him to see things differently. Or, at least, to try to see things differently.

“The struggle is to walk the line of appreciating how far I’ve been able to come and acknowledging how difficult that journey has been to get to this point, to be patient and allow the process to keep unfolding,” he said. “You score a goal and it’s a good feeling, and you want to go out and score again the next game. When that doesn’t happen, those old expectations and frustrations set in. You have to catch yourself and take a second.”

Those expectations always weighed heavily on Toews in Chicago — particularly as he got older and the team got worse. It’s the primary reason he didn’t even consider the Blackhawks as an option when he decided to make his comeback. He wanted to start again, free of the history and encumbrances that came with being Jonathan Toews, captain of the Chicago Blackhawks. The hill he was climbing was steep enough without having to carry all that on his back.

Those last few years in Chicago took their toll emotionally, Toews said. He saw Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane get traded, Brent Seabrook and Corey Crawford retire. New players would sign with the Blackhawks and Toews would embrace them and work with them to show them the ropes, to connect with them, “but they were in one year and out the next year,” he said.

The team was going in one direction while Toews was desperately — futilely — trying to drag it in another. It wasn’t ideal for either side, and so they parted ways. Amicably, but painfully all the same.

“There’s definitely — I don’t know if prestige is the right word, but it’s pretty cool to be that guy that ultimately was a cornerstone of a team his entire career,” he said. “That’s something you take pride in. But it’s pro sports, right? You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do for your career sometimes, and go where the opportunities are. It’s nice to be the guy who didn’t switch sides. There’s an aspect of that in my mind. But it is what it is. The Hawks wanted to move on. It was probably best for me, too.”

Toews could have been that one-jersey player, a Chicago institution. He could have just skated off into the sunset after that final game, his on-ice legacy secure. But the lost time gnawed at him. He was robbed of three seasons by chronic inflammatory response syndrome and symptoms of long COVID, not to mention another half season by the 2012 lockout. He won’t reach 500 goals and he’s still 112 points shy of 1,000. Yes, his two-way brilliance and the reverence he commands in the hockey world as a heart-and-soul leader make him a shoo-in for the Hockey Hall of Fame, but Toews left Chicago unsatisfied. His career felt abridged, incomplete. He still had something to prove — to himself, to the Blackhawks, to the hockey world at large.

So here he is, Jonathan Toews, Winnipeg Jet: a depth scorer and a middle-six center without a letter on his sweater. It’s all so … odd. For Toews more than anybody. And the surreality of it all hits him at the strangest moments.

On Sunday night, in the home locker room at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Toews found his mind wandering to what his pregame routine was like in Chicago. Head equipment manager Troy Parchman knew exactly how he liked his skates. Mike Gapski and the athletic training staff knew exactly what he wanted and when. Even massage therapist Pawel Prylinski was always in sync with Toews’ needs.

It’s not like that in Winnipeg. Not yet, at least.

“You’re in a whole new ecosystem with different guys and different staff,” he said. “So you just slowly find your way.”

There are other differences, of course. Toews is recognized in Winnipeg a lot more than he was in Chicago. After Sunday’s game, his parents and a few friends were waiting for Toews back at his house. That didn’t happen in Chicago. There will be regular family dinners once the Jets’ hectic early-season schedule lets up a bit. Toews was a full-time Chicago resident for most of his career, so it’s been jarring to come back home and have it feel like … well, home.

“I couldn’t have imagined a better reception from the people here,” he said. “I think they’re really proud and happy to have one of their own playing for the Jets. It’s a wild thing — after being in Chicago all those years, after a while, Chicago feels small. But it was easy to forget how small Winnipeg really is, and how everyone pretty much knows each other.”

Jonathan Toews’ first goal for his hometown Jets came against Calgary on Oct. 24.

It couldn’t be going much better on the ice, either. Toews has two goals and three assists in nine games. He’s not the dominant two-way force he once was, but he still looks like he belongs. He can hang. He bounced back quickly from an early injury, and his body has so far held up well under the relentless stresses of the NHL season. He feels good — physically, mentally, emotionally. And he said he’s certain he’ll keep getting better, that he’ll be “a completely different player” by the time the postseason — Toews’ time — rolls around.

He’s no longer dwelling on the lost years, the lost milestones, the lost time. He’s just grateful for this time, right now.

So, no, the Toews that lines up against the Blackhawks on Thursday won’t be the same player who used to line up for the Blackhawks. Not even close.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing at all.

“It definitely is a thought that pops in my head once in a while,” he said of the lost years. “But that comes with the attitude of ‘Why me?’ and I’m trying my best not to think that way anymore. I’m grateful for the challenges I’ve had these last few years, because ultimately, there’s more to life than hockey. Besides, I don’t want to be one of those guys who just hangs his hat on the goals and assists and numbers you can see on a sheet of paper at the end of his career. Quite frankly, there’s more to the game than that. Right now, it’s cool to be in a new environment, with new guys, in a new organization, wearing a new jersey. It’s fun and it’s exciting. I’m happy I’m here in Winnipeg and I’m super excited to see how things go this season. I’m just extremely grateful for everything.

Sebastian Vettel is not one of those champions who only think of themselves. His fight for the planet has always been part of the German four-time Formula 1 world champion's repertoire, even arriving at the first Miami Grand Prix (2022) wearing a t-shirt proclaiming the future: "Miami 2060: The first underwater GP. Act now or swim later ." He was still a regular driver at the time, participating in this championship that circles the globe twice a year.

Since his retirement, he has continued to act, true to his ideals. After campaigning for bees and installing insect houses bearing the names of the drivers in the first corner of Suzuka, he returned to the Brazilian Grand Prix to defend the forest. Throughout the weekend, he asked drivers and any spectators who wished to participate to draw a tree, a symbol of our survival. It was there, in front of this small workshop with paper and colored pencils, that he explained his project to fight against deforestation.

When did you realize that we needed to fight for the planet? "Honestly, I don’t know. But I think that, generally speaking, we all should. It’s not a personal cause or an individual battle: it’s something that concerns us all, because it’s for our own good. I’ve always loved nature, spending time outdoors. I grew up playing a lot of sports, often outside, and I’ve always loved that feeling of freedom and movement. Over the years, traveling the world through running, I’ve also seen the world change."

"I'm trying to use the notoriety that F1 has given me to raise awareness."

"But I think it was around 2017, 2018, or 2019 that I really started to open my eyes. It was around that time that the whole world realized how much needed to be done, that this was the greatest challenge we face as human beings. I understand that people have their lives, their priorities, their passions... But I believe it's essential that everyone sees reality as it is. That's why I try to use the position I have—the notoriety that F1 has given me—to raise awareness, to get messages across, to help awaken consciences."

After the Grand Prix, will you go to Belem to attend the COP? "No, I will not go."

Because you think it's not useful? "On the contrary. It's very important. I also hope that something concrete will come of it, a real commitment. But I'm not one of those who sign the agreements, so my place isn't there. However, I will follow what happens there closely, with great interest."

Do you think Senna's legacy is connected to the environmental awareness you advocate for today? "Yes, in a way. What's fascinating is that the climate crisis is connected to so many other issues: poverty, education, inequality... When you look at what Senna was trying to do in his time, it was already about improving the world by giving children equal opportunities [through his Institute] . That's where it all begins. I'm fully aware of how lucky I am. Just three days ago, I was in a favela, in the heart of a local community. I'd been there several times before, but it was the first time I'd really gone inside. I met a young boy and his family; they welcomed me into their home and showed me their apartment. And it's... [he searches for the right words] overwhelming."

"No one, especially not a child, deserves to have less simply because of where they were born."

"It's not far geographically, but it's light years away in terms of living conditions. It's not fair. I haven't done anything more than him to deserve what I have. No one, especially not a child, deserves to have less simply because of where they were born. We were lucky enough to be born on the right side of the tracks, and that's a huge injustice. These inequalities are directly linked to other issues, like the environment. So yes, what Senna stood for remains just as relevant today."

You're a true car enthusiast, both on the road and on the track. Is there a way to live this passion more responsibly? "There has to be, otherwise the alternative would be to stop completely – and that would be disastrous. It's actually one of my biggest concerns. I deeply love Formula 1, I love the sport, the competition, the spirit of the drivers, but also this new generation of young people coming up. I realize I grew up in a time when I didn't have to worry about certain things that young people have to worry about today. Current generations no longer have that luxury. They're directly confronted with the world's problems, and that's not fair. I was fortunate enough to be able to focus solely on racing, on fighting to win. But today, young people don't have the same opportunities or the same conditions to dream. And that's where the injustice begins. There's no equality of opportunity.”

It’s hard to believe this is already Patrick Kane’s third season with the Red Wings, but it is. He’ll log his 129th game with a winged logo adorning his chest Sunday against the Blackhawks.

Half of Kane’s brain also finds that hard to believe. The other half finds it normal and comfortable.

“I feel like a Red Wing now,” Kane told the Sun-Times on Saturday. “Obviously, there’s a great history and past with what we did in Chicago, but it feels like a different era, right? Both sides moved on. When I watch them, it feels like a different organization, a different team. You feel like you belong here now.”

He’s squarely focused on helping the Wings break their own long playoff drought, not wondering when the Hawks will break theirs. The Wings are off to a promising start at 9-6-0, although they have lost three of their last four games.

Kane has appeared in only six of those games due to injury, but even as his 37th birthday approaches, there’s no denying the fact he has held up remarkably well.

He accumulated 59 points in 72 games last season and has five in six this season. He remains a very crafty playmaker. He has so far gone year-to-year with his contracts with the Wings, re-signing as a free agent each summer, and there’s no indication either side will seek to alter that pattern in 2026.

Kane’s brain hasn’t changed, either, not that anyone expected it would. His IQ and vision on the ice remain elite, even if his physical abilities no longer are — in similar fashion to Jonathan Toews in Winnipeg. Kane’s encyclopedic knowledge of hockey history, stats and schedules isn’t fading, either.

Speaking of schedules, he has one upcoming date mentally circled: New Year’s Eve at home against the Jets.

That will mark his first time facing Toews in a regular-season game. They’ve been texting each other “a lot” the past few months, and Kane admitted that matchup is “going to be so weird.”

“Obviously we have throughout our lives — [like] when we were kids — played against each other,” he said. “World juniors, world championships, Olympics and World Cup, as well. We’ve done it before. We just haven’t done it in the NHL. So it’ll be a little different.”

Thoughts on the Hawks

Even when Kane watches the NHL on his free nights, he no longer prioritizes watching the Hawks above everybody else. He just flips onto them from time to time.

Nonetheless, he has been pleasantly surprised by what he has seen.

“Everyone thought they would be one of the bottom teams in the league, and they’re competing,” he said. “It seems like they’re kind of rolling right now. They’re finding ways to win games and do it on the road. ... A lot of their young, up-and-coming players have taken the next step, so that helps.”

He has been particularly impressed by Connor Bedard.

“He’s a special player,” Kane said. “He’s able to control the puck and make plays that other guys can’t. That’s just the reality of it. He does what other guys can’t do in the league.”

Red Wings coach Todd McLellan also hyped up the Hawks on Saturday, echoing similar narratives that other opposing coaches have brought up this fall.

Knight’s approach is unique, but the 24-year-old goalie has found the perfect recipe to maximize his performance, health and recovery in his breakout 2025-26 season.

When the Blackhawks flew from Calgary to Detroit to reach the final stop of their grueling six-city road trip earlier in November, U.S. customs officials identified something suspicious within the team’s luggage.

It was Spencer Knight’s red-light therapy mat.

Knight tried to explain that the sleeping bag-like item with thousands of tiny infrared bulbs is designed to repair tissue and support whole-body health, but the bewildered official never quite figured it out. Connor Bedard still laughs about the scene weeks later.

“Stuff like that is funny, but it’s awesome to see [his routine],” Bedard said. “When guys are playing so well, you appreciate that. But when you see, behind the scenes, why they’re playing so well — their approach every day — it just makes you have so much respect.”

In less than a year on the Hawks, Knight has not only cemented himself as a franchise goalie — his .920 save percentage and plus-11.5 GSAA both rank among the top three in the NHL — but also amazed his teammates with his precise off-ice routines and habits.

The ways in which the 24-year-old Connecticut native carries himself and manages his health and stamina have already made him something of a legend.

“He tells me a bunch of different stuff, and I don’t fully understand it,” Frank Nazar said. “But it’s a lot [about] taking care of his body.”

A ‘very adult person’

Getting sleep in the NHL isn’t easy. Teams fly immediately after every road game, which often equates to middle-of-the-night flights landing at 1 or 2 a.m. at their destination. That, in turn, equates to some wacky sleep schedules for everyone.

For everyone but Knight, that is.

“I’m shocked by it, to be honest,” Landon Slaggert said. “It takes me a long time to wind down after a game with caffeine, adrenaline, all of that. ... He’s eye-mask on, right to bed, trying to maximize his recovery in any way that he can.”

Said Louis Crevier: “It’s crazy, but I’ve got to respect that. You’ll ask him why, and he’s like, ‘What else am I supposed to do?’ Instead of maybe going on social media or watching a movie, he’ll just sleep.”

Knight’s ability to instantly turn off his brain and slow his heart rate after games might stem from the fact he never gets too worked up during games.

“He’s a very adult person,” Alex Vlasic said. "[He’s] very well-spoken and very calm. Even in the game, he’s just [staring blankly] the whole time. I’ve talked to him about it; I think he just likes to stay very level-headed. He doesn’t want to get too high or too low.”

Knight isn’t exactly superstitious, but he does follow a set routine on game days that his teammates have learned not to mess with. An unflappable, hyper-focused air surrounds him all afternoon leading up to puck drop.

“You let him do his own thing,” Nazar said. “But it’s fun talking to him on a day off on the road, or even after a game [when] you see him in the shower and he’s laughing. He’s a funny guy. He makes jokes, and he enjoys that stuff. It’s good to see both sides of him.”

Said Matt Grzelcyk: “He’s very mature for his age. You can tell just talking to him. Especially the way he’s playing this year, you don’t want to let anything screw him up. But he’s very in-the-moment. He’s not like, ‘It’s game day, you can’t talk to me.’”

Said Knight: “There’s some days I won’t do anything specific. It just reminds me that I’m in control of my routine.”

Knight typically — but not always — follows a specific routine on game days.

Quirks from Florida

Knight’s years of watching Sergei Bobrovsky tend the net for the Panthers influenced him tremendously. The future Hall of Famer became a role model whose advice Knight still cites frequently.

But Knight has also picked up quirks from countless other goalies around the league (and beyond).

“The way he sees the games, he’s always trying to grasp some knowledge,” Wyatt Kaiser said. “He’s like, ‘I like this part of this guy’s goalie game, and I’m going to put that into my game.’ He’s always trying to learn the process, which I like. I look up to it.”

One habit that remains from Knight’s Panthers tenure: eating meals during intermissions when he’s not the starting goalie.

It provides a prime opportunity to maximize his caloric intake during times when he’s not burning many calories. Plus, Knight explains that he simply gets so hungry if he waits until after the game (around 10 p.m.) to eat at the same time as everybody in the lineup.

“I have a well-balanced diet between protein, vegetables and carbs,” Knight said. “I don’t track anything; I just pay attention to how I feel and what I think I need. I also do appreciate once a week...having a day where I just have pancakes or pasta and eat what I want to. I’ve been better at that, knowing when to be dialed in versus when to step away.”

Slaggert disagreed somewhat: “His pregame plates are the most dialed thing you can think of.”

The red-light mat also came with Knight from Florida. He and Ryan Donato are both owners of mats from SoleilWell, which retail for $2,800.

Thirty minutes of laying in it per day supposedly boosts blood flow (to heal wounds and injuries faster) and balances circadian rhythm (for better sleep).

“Just having a 1% better recovery for me is ideal,” Donato said. “Even if it’s a placebo, if you can bring it on the road with you, why not try it? See if it makes a difference. It gives me the feeling I’m going the extra mile in my recovery.”

That extra mile, unsurprisingly, is music to Knight’s ears.

“Every year I try new things — one or two new things — to see if I like them,” Knight said. “I consider that almost re-investing in myself. I’ve been trying this for the past couple years, and I like it.

“It almost gives a little energy. It’s something I’ve been trying out, and I like the way I feel — not instantly after, but three to four hours after I do it.”

His relentless pursuit of strategies to maximize his health and performance must be restrained to an extent, though. The things his teammates find impressive and funny could become overwhelming otherwise.

And this season, at the grizzled age of 24, he seemingly has nailed down the perfect recipe. That balance is paying dividends on the ice.