Jonathan Toews will officially make his return to the NHL next season after spending two years away from pro hockey.
The Winnipeg Jets, Toews’s hometown team, announced Friday morning they have inked the three-time Stanley Cup champion to a deal for the 2025-26 campaign. The club cannot register the contract until July 1, but Toews has made a verbal commitment to the Jets.
Toews has not taken the ice since an April 13, 2023, appearance for the Chicago Blackhawks. The 37-year-old forward stepped away from the game to recover from the effects of long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome.
The veteran center, who has only played for the Blackhawks during his 15-year NHL career, recorded 31 points (15g, 16a) in his final season with the club. Toews made headlines last December when he revealed to GQ that he spent some time in India undergoing a “five-week Ayurvedic detox called a Panchakarma,” which involved induced vomiting and daily enemas.
Toews’s contract with the Jets will be heavily incentive-laden, with a base salary and cap hit of $2 million. The terms include five games-played-related bonuses and five playoff-related bonuses, including a $1 million prize if the Jets win the 2026 Stanley Cup and Toews plays 50 percent of the Cup Final.
During his career, Toews has played in 1,067 games and recorded 883 points (372g, 511a). The six-time NHL All-Star has also won the Conn Smythe Trophy (2010), Selke Trophy (2013), and Mark Messier Leadership Award (2013).
