Jets rumors: Jonathan Toews expected to announce retirement on Friday

It appears as though it’s going to be the end of an era for future Hall of Fame forward Jonathan Toews, who returned to the NHL after a two-year absence because of symptoms of Long-COVID.

Toews, who played with his hometown Winnipeg Jets this season, has called a press conference for Friday in Winnipeg, where he is expected to announce his retirement from the NHL after 1,149 career games played, the majority of which were spent as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.

I expect Jonathan Toews will officially announce his retirement tomorrow. Hand in hand with the @NHLJets. What a career.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 18, 2026

Taken with the third overall pick by the Blackhawks in the 2006 NHL Draft, Toews made an immediate impact after debuting with the Blackhawks during the 2007-08 campaign. In his first year in the NHL, he scored 24 goals with 30 assists and quickly established himself as one of the league’s top two-way forwards.

Over the course of his career in Chicago, Toews helped lead the franchise to three Stanley Cup titles while earning several individual honors, including the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2010, the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 2013, and the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2015. He reached the 20-goal mark in each of his first 12 seasons with the club and surpassed 50 points 12 times during his 15-year tenure.

But Toews experienced numerous health complications because of Long-COVID and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), which led to him missing the entire 2020-21 shortened season. After the 2022-23 season, he was told by Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson that he would not be brought back, and he enjoyed an emotional final home game with the Blackhawks in April 2023.

His number 19 jersey will soon hang in the rafters of United Center.

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