Subj : Jonathan Toews: Beyond the Glory
To : All
From : The Hockey Writers - Main
Date : Mon Sep 14 2020 04:40 am
Much consideration has been given to the legacy of Jonathan Toews, long-time
captain of the Chicago Blackhawks. Now heading into his 14th NHL season, Toews
has seen an incredible amount of success. But he';s also 32 years old, and many
feel his inevitable decline has already begun. So what can we currently infer
about the state of his career?
This is where one needs to take a step back and look at the big picture.
Because Toews isn';t exactly your normal hockey player. In fact, he's always
been quite extraordinary. To understand what I mean, we must start at the
beginning.Related - The Breakaway: Wirtz Family Cups & ControversyJonathan
Toews - The Younger Years
Toews was�born on April 29, 1988 in the St. Boniface-Winnipeg area to Bryan
Toews and Andree Gilbert, and seemed destined for the NHL at a very young age.
His dad tied on his first pair of skates when he was only three and says he
became an instant whiz on ice.
In an interview, father Toews was quoted as saying: "Jonathan could see things
you';d show him and then go right out there and do them much better than I';d
describe them. I remember I had him on the lake when he was four. He had such a
natural stride. I remember several parents coming up to me and asking, ‘How
old is that kid?'"
To which Jonathan added: "It wasn't that natural for me. I never was one of the
biggest kids, but I kind of found myself thinking of ways in my mind to beat
them," he said. "I';d use my skating, my stickhandling, my wits to visualize
ways to win."
And win he did. When he was still a pup, the elder Toews built a backyard rink
for Jonathan and his kid brother David so they could skate till they dropped.
What others called hard work was fun for the Toews family. Dad skated right
along with the boys as their skills grew and their talent developed.
The payoff came quickly. In his Bantam year Jonathan was drafted #1 by the
Tri-City Americans but chose instead to play high school. In his last high
school year he played at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, MN (110 points in 64
games) and ended up spending the next two years at the University of North
Dakota where he amassed 85 points in 76 games, had a plus-38 rating and led the
Fighting Sioux to the Frozen Four in both 2006 and 2007.Jonathan Toews played
college hockey for the University of North Dakota. (@ UND Courtesy:
weplay.com)Representing the NHL and Team Canada
Drafted third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2006 Entry Draft, Toews
made the leap to the NHL in the fall of 2007 at age 18. Along with Duncan Keith
and Patrick Kane, Toews was part of a new-blood youth movement that moved the
2008 Hawks into the playoffs for the first time since 2002.Jonathan Toews
became captain of the Chicago Blackhawks at a very young age.
(vzonabaxter/Flickr)
In December of his second year (2008-09) he was made an assistant captain and
on July 18, 2009 was named captain at the ripe old age of 20, becoming the
third youngest player to do so behind Vinnie Lecavalier and Sidney Crosby. His
nifty scoring touch and his heads-up style of play have made him a fan
favorite. He was rewarded in December 2009 with a six-year contract extension
worth about $6.5 million a year.
Toews competed internationally for Team Canada and won gold medals at the 2005
World U-17 Hockey Challenge (leading scorer 8-4-12), 2006 and 2007 World Junior
Championships and at the 2007 Men's World Championships. In the semi-final
against the USA, he scored once in regulation and three times in the shootout
to advance his team to the finals.
The year 2010 was kind to this powerful young player. In February, he competed
for Canada against the World in the 2010 Winter Olympics in�Vancouver, leading
his team with eight points. His seven assists led the tournament while he
tallied his only goal to open the scoring in the crucial Gold Medal game
against the USA. At the end of the two weeks, sporting a shiny new Gold Medal,
Jonathan was named Best Forward.
Back in Vancouver in May for the NHL Western Conference semi-finals, in the
pivotal fourth game, with three goals and two assists, he tied Stan Mikita's
longstanding Blackhawks record for most points (5) in a single game.
But it didn't end there. Toews and his Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley
Cup that year. It was the first time Chicago hoisted the Cup since 1961, a
drought of 49 years. Toews was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for the most
valuable player in the playoffs. He amassed seven goals and 22 assists in 22
playoff games. He also became one of only eight players to win Olympic gold and
the Stanley Cup in the same year.Related - Eddie Olczyk Embodies Passion for
Life, HockeyContinuing an Illustrious Career
This intense and driven young man charged on. He led his team to two more
Stanley Cup championships, in 2013 and 2015. He was awarded the Selke Trophy
for best defensive forward in 2013. In 2015, Toews received the Mark Messier
Leadership award for being a leader in his sport as well as a contributing
member of society. He was also recognized as the ESPY Best NHL player, selected
by an ESPN Nominating Committee. Between 2009 and 2017, he participated in
four NHL All-Star games, and was nominated for six. In 2017, he was part of a
prestigious group that was honored as the 100 Greatest NHL Players.Jonathan
Toews, Chicago Blackhawks (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
Internationally, Toews again represented and won the Gold Medal with Team
Canada in the 2014 Winter Olympics. In 2016, he was a part of the Canadian team
to win gold in the World Cup of Hockey.
Success comes with it's perks. In July of 2014, the Blackhawks signed Toews and
teammate Kane to identical eight-year contract extensions to the tune of $10.5
million per year. The contracts went into effect for the start of the 2015-16
season.
"Jonathan and Patrick have become cornerstones of this franchise during their
time in Chicago," general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement. "We are
excited to ensure they will continue to lead our organization for years to
come."
Having two players eat up $21 million dollars in cap space is not exactly
ideal, but the Blackhawks felt it was worth it for these two "faces of the
franchise" that essentially turned the fortunes of the team. Especially for
Toews, it's been a double-edged sword. His history earned him a sweet contract,
but there was also the constant pressure to live up to it.Toews'; Recent
History
Besides his 2017 All-Star appearance and nomination to the 100 Greatest
Players, all of Toews'; accolades were a pretty long time ago. After all, 2015
will be six whole seasons ago, and 2010 will be 11 years removed.
Sure enough, Toews hit a dip in his illustrious career from the 2015-16 season
through the 2017-18 season. In a three-year span, the captain amassed 58, 58,
and 52 points respectively in the regular season. This was definitely under his
63-point average from is first eight seasons.
In those same three seasons, the Blackhawks were eliminated from the playoffs
in the first round two years in a row and didn't make the postseason in
2017-18. Individually, Toews managed only one goal and seven assists in eleven
playoff games. He looked especially vulnerable in April of 2017, when he was
consistently knocked off the puck and dominated by the Nashville Predators in a
four-game first round sweep. Many thought Toews was officially washed up.
�Jonathan Toews'; production struggled after winning three Stanley Cups earlier
in his career. (photo: Amy Irvin)
Ah, but don't tell Toews that. He got to work to improve his game. In the
summer of 2017 he committed to a different offseason regimen, one that focused
more on speed and skill. It didn't immediately pan out in 2017-18, but another
long offseason allowed him to fine-tune things even further. As he told Scott
Powers of The Athletic,
You realize what a lot of guys have been doing for years (in the offseason) and
why the league is so good and why there's so much young talent nowadays
because they're ready and everyone's working so hard and working at developing
their game.
(from ‘Jonathan Toews ready to let his play do the talking after putting long
offseason to use', The AthleticCHI - 9/6/18)
It all finally paid off in the 2018-19 season. Toews enjoyed not just a
resurgent year but a career-high season to boot. His 35 goals and 46 assists
for 81 points were career-highs in all three categories. Not bad for a "washed
up" veteran. Related - A Blackhawks'; History: Irrelevance to Prominence and
Back AgainThe Captain Still With Plenty to Prove
Toews continued with a strong campaign in the 2019-20 season. Due to COVID-19
pandemic, the Blackhawks' regular season only lasted 70 games. In that span,
the captain accumulated 60 points, second only to Kane. Also due to the
pandemic, the Blackhawks found themselves gifted a playoff berth. In nine
postseason contests, Toews led the team with five goals.Jonathan Toews still
knows how to turn it on in the playoffs. (AP Photo Nuccio DiNuzzo)
The playoff-tested veteran did all this while mentoring his heir apparent, 2019
third overall draft pick Kirby Dach. Ironically, that is the exact same spot
in which Toews was drafted in 2006. Like Toews back in the day, Dach is a
prospect with the world at his feet, but the youngster is benefitting from an
expert in the field to help him along. I wonder what it's like to mentor your
future replacement? Because, besides continuing to be the best he can be, this
is what will be expected of Toews in the next few seasons.
How long can Toews be at the top of his game? The Blackhawks' top center isn't
getting any younger, but he's out to prove he can still put up elite offensive
numbers while continuing to be a strong two-way player.
Toews has already built a strong legacy. It's safe to say he';s a future Hall
of Famer, and his No. 19 will eventually find its way to the United Center
rafters. But he';s not done yet. His history is still being written. Time will
tell how it all pans out. And it all starts with the 2020-21 season.
** originally written by Kevin Hunter in May 2010
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