Jonathan Toews bids farewell to fans, scores big goal in final Blackhawks game

Longtime Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews played his final game with the franchise on Thursday night after it was revealed earlier in the day that the two sides would be parting ways this summer.

Though the Flyers came into Chicago and stole an overtime win in Toews' finale, the three-time Cup champ went out with a bang, scoring in the second period while posting three shots on goal, two hits, and a 14-5 mark in the faceoff circle over 16:29 of ice time.

Following Thursday's game, the emotions were flowing as Toews was given a lengthy video tribute and a massive ovation before taking the mic to address the crowd and bid Chicago fans farewell.

Earlier in the day, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson detailed the circumstances which led to the decision.

"I've had a number of conversations with Jonathan throughout the season about his future with the Blackhawks, and recently, we had the difficult conversation that we won't be re-signing him this offseason," Davidson said Thursday morning. "Tonight will be his final game as a Blackhawk. It was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but I told him that wherever he ends up playing next, he'll be a Blackhawk forever."

Toews is one of the greatest players in franchise history, winning three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015, the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2010 — the second youngest player in league history to do so behind Patrick Roy — a Selke Trophy in 2013, to go along with six all-star selections. He also won two Olympic gold medals for Canada and is a member of the Triple Gold Club, having also won gold at the world juniors and world championships.

"Jonathan epitomizes the Chicago Blackhawks," Davidson said. "He's been everything you can ask for in a captain and so much more. His leadership has been matched only by his toughness and focus. He's been a mentor not only in the locker room to his teammates, but in the community as well, inspiring generations of future hockey players. He's accomplished so much for this club and our fans, and the extraordinary legacy he leaves behind with this team is a testament to that."

The Winnipeg native returned to Chicago's lineup on April 1 after missing two months with long-covid symptoms as well as Chronic Immune Response Syndrome, which forced him to sit out the entire 2020-21 season. He opened up about his struggles with the illness when meeting with the media ahead of his return in April.

“I don’t know if it was when we were on the road a lot or leading up to the break and it just got to the point where I couldn’t move on the ice and didn’t even want to put on my skates or roll out of bed to come to the rink, so it was pretty rough there for a bit,” Toews said.

"You can’t really explain because people won’t understand,” Toews said. “It’s not like a knee injury or shoulder injury where you lay under an MRI and your proof is right there. It has been one of those complicated things. Even for me, it’s been really challenging at times to figure out what’s going on."

Toews, who was drafted third overall in 2006, was one of the best two-way forwards of his generation and was dominant in the faceoff circle, while providing top-line scoring flair for the vast majority of his career. He was prodigious early in his career and became the fifth-youngest captain in NHL history. Early in his career, Toews was nicknamed “Captain Serious” for his no-nonsense demeanor, a moniker he tried to shed as his career progressed while commanding the unwavering respect of his teammates.

This marks the end of the most successful era of Blackhawks history. Toews and Patrick Kane’s identical eight-year, $84-million contracts are set to expire at the end of the season. Kane and Toews were inextricably linked to each other, but the star winger was traded to the New York Rangers ahead of the deadline on Feb. 28.

During 1,067 games with the franchise, Toews notched 372 goals and 883 points.