Forward skates with teammates in preparation for training camp after missing 2 seasons

Jonathan Toews said he had first-day-of-school vibes stepping on the ice with the Winnipeg Jets for informal skates this past week.

The 37-year-old three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Chicago Blackhawks is making a comeback with Winnipeg after a two-season hiatus because of health issues.

So far, he’s fitting right in.

“Sometimes you don’t remember what skate you put on first, but then once you get going you don’t even think about it, everything is muscle memory,” Toews said Thursday. “It’s fun to just get back in that routine and that structure of an NHL camp and an NHL season.”

It has been a long road back for the veteran of 1,067 NHL games and 137 Stanley Cup Playoff games, all with Chicago.

Toews, a Winnipeg native, signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Jets on July 1, and is navigating his way around a different environment, familiarizing himself with new teammates. Training camp begins Sept. 17.

“It’s been a lot of fun slowly getting to know guys, that’s something that I’ll take a little while to get settled and comfortable in the locker room,” Toews said. “In a way you want show your respects, especially to the veteran guys in this locker room that set the tone and the example for this team every day. I want to slowly find my way and contribute where I can and find ways to earn that respect and my stripes with this group too.”

Just being back on the ice is an accomplishment for Toews, who has not played a game since April 13, 2023. Despite already having a decorated career, he was not ready to retire.

The absence has made Toews feel like a rookie again, nerves and all.

“Oh yeah, for sure, you want to belong, you want to be part of the team,” he said. “It is a new experience for sure, especially after being away from hockey as long as I have been to kind of integrate into a new locker room.

“Monday when the whole team was here, I was meeting a lot of new people, not just the staff but the players as well, but that’s part of the fun. It’s easy to pick up on why this team has a lot of chemistry in the locker room and on the ice and there’s a lot of talent, but also a lot of character in this room too, so you can feel that already and it’s fun to be a part of something like that.”

Winnipeg won the Presidents’ Trophy as the best team in the regular season for the first time in franchise history last season but was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Dallas Stars in six games.

The Jets believe bringing in a proven winner like Toews will help in their quest for the Stanley Cup this season.

“We all jumped at the thought of having a player like Jonathan even consider Winnipeg,” Jets captain Adam Lowry said Thursday. “It’s a huge deal and it means a lot to the guys in the room. We feel like we’re a good team and we’re really pushing. To have him consider us as one of those contenders and one of those teams he believes in — a smaller market and generally a market most people don’t consider coming to — I think it’s a testament to his belief in our group and it was nice to see when it was finalized. Now that we have him, we’re super excited to welcome him into the fold.”