In 2023, the Chicago Blackhawks’ longest-tenured captain, Jonathan Toews, began a two-year hiatus due to health concerns related to long COVID. A key figure of 21st-century Chicago sports, helping guide the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups in the 2010s, his departure left a hole in the Chicago sports community.
When the Winnipeg Jets announced the signing of the three-time Stanley Cup champion to a one-year contract, fans across Chicago started preparing for their captain’s return to the United Center. January 19, 2026—the date of his return—became a red (and black) circle on many Blackhawks fans’ calendars.
Fans followed through as the United Center saw 19,894 seats occupied. The stadium was soon full of Jonathan Toews jerseys spanning from his University of North Dakota green to his Blackhawks red. Along with the typical hotdogs and deep-dish pizza trays, supporters’ hands were waving “Welcome Back 19” signs supplied by the Chicago Blackhawks organization.
Despite the evident importance of a game that featured two division rivals, most of the energy in the stadium was dedicated to Toews and his return. Play stopped early in the first period for a tribute to Jonathan Toews which included a video montage of his time in Chicago and time to skate a lap around the rink.
To no one’s surprise, after completing one lap around the rink, Toews was urged by the crowd and his own Winnipeg teammates to skate another lap. The former Chicago captain would wind up completing about four laps. He went to each side of the rink and pointed at different sections of adoring fans, who were holding various signs of encouragement and wearing his jerseys. The crowd was so unbelievably loud that Toews himself told the crowd “Alright, alright” so play could continue.
Upon resumption of play, Winnipeg forward Nino Niederreiter slashed Chicago’s Ryan Greene, ending in a scoreless power play for Chicago. Winnipeg and Chicago would then trade penalties for the rest of the period with Winnipeg’s Luke Schenn receiving a holding penalty against Chicago’s Oliver Moore at 12 minutes 50 seconds into the first period. Later, Chicago’s Louis Crevier received an interference penalty against Winnipeg’s Gabriel Vilardi at 15 minutes 21 seconds. In that sense, Toews’ celebratory laps were the highlight of an otherwise unremarkable first period.
Excitement didn’t return in the crowd until the jumbotron revealed Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong were in attendance. This came just one day after the Bears lost in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round on January 18. Crow-Armstrong and Williams were featured several times on the Jumbotron, sparking a “Green Bay sucks” chant that reverberated through the whole crowd at the conclusion of a scoreless period.
Other Chicago legends were in the audience for the long-awaited game such as the Blackhawks’ own Andrew Shaw and Kris Versteeg. Versteeg was on the 2010 championship team with Toews that returned the Stanley Cup to Chicago after a 49-year drought but was not a part of the 2013 championship team that Andrew Shaw played on. However, both Versteeg and Shaw returned to be a part of the 2015 championship team which solidified the 2010s Blackhawks ensemble as a modern hockey dynasty.
Toews’ leadership and tenacity through the phenomenal seasons and not-so-phenomenal seasons were standouts for many Blackhawks fans, explaining the outpouring of love and respect for the current Winnipeg forward at the January 19 game.
Despite all the support for Toews, Blackhawks fans were still hungry for a win. Sitting at a 19–22–7 record and only 45 points in the Central Division, Chicago desperately needed the two points to begin the slow climb toward a .500 record. This win came quite slowly but easily for the Blackhawks as they dominated the second and third periods with a better faceoff percentage and goals scored.
Though Winnipeg ended the game with more shots on goal, the Blackhawks were better at converting their chances, producing two goals to take the win. The first goal came from Jason Dickinson at 13 minutes 21 seconds of the second period with assists from Ryan Donato and Alex Vlasic. Winnipeg tried to respond but could only come up with a Cole Perfetti tripping penalty against Chicago’s Oliver Moore near the end of the second period.
The third period remained similar to the first and second periods. There were frequent turnovers with both teams struggling to keep the puck in their possession for very long. Another penalty came when Chicago’s Ryan Donato slashed Winnipeg’s Dylan DeMelo at 6 minutes 35 seconds of the third period. Despite all the penalties throughout the game, neither team was able to score on the power play, leaving the Winnipeg team especially unsatisfied.
With Winnipeg getting desperate, they pulled their Hart trophy and three-time Vezina trophy-winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck for the last few minutes of play. Even with the extra man on the ice, Winnipeg was not able to respond to Chicago’s goal from the second period. Then, at 18 minutes 35 seconds, forward star Connor Bedard secured Chicago’s lead with an empty net goal with Ilya Mikheyev and Alex Vlasic getting the assists.
At the game’s conclusion, the three stars were announced: Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight for his third shutout of the season, Alex Vlasic for his two-point night, and Jason Dickinson for his opening goal. Chicago fans left with another win in an otherwise mediocre regular season and Winnipeg fans left with another loss for a team that has been making losses a habit.
While the game was not edge-of-your-seat material by any hockey fan’s standards, its emotional importance for Chicago fans and the NHL as a whole made it a game worth remembering. In an age when big trades for franchise players seem commonplace in the NHL, one-team players like Jonathan Toews seem like a dying breed. With fellow Blackhawks icon Patrick Kane playing out his final seasons in Detroit and the rest of the dynasty core now retired, Chicago’s 2010–2015 golden era is officially a thing of the past.
The Blackhawks have ushered in a new era on the backs of players like Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. Nevertheless, it is clear that fans and the organization have not forgotten their longest-tenured captain.
