Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Toews announces retirement from professional hockey after 16-season NHL career

Three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Toews has officially announced his retirement from professional hockey, ending a remarkbale 16-season NHL career. Toews made the announcement on Friday at the Jonathan Toews Sportsplex in Winnipeg, where he grew up and played his last NHL season.

His retirement comes one year after a successful comeback season with his hometown team, the Winnipeg Jets, following a prolonged absence caused by health issues.Nicknamed "Captain Serious", Toews was selected by the Blackhawks with the third overall pick in the 2006 NHL entry draft. He also played for the Chicago Blackhawks, serving as the captain from 2008 to 2023. As per reports, Toews won the Stanley Cup in 2010, along with the Conn Smythe Trophy for the most valuable player in the playoffs.

Jonathan Toews announces retirement from professional hockey at the age of 38

WWE star Jonathan Toews has officially announced his retirement from professional hockey at the age of 38, on Friday. He announced his retirement from Winnipeg, and interestingly, it was in Winnipeg where he also played his final NHL season, with 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in 82 games for the Jets in 2025-26. As per the NHL, Toews finishes with 1,149 regular-season games played and 912 points, including 383 goals and 529 assists. His retirement comes one year after a successful comeback season with the Winnipeg Jets.

Overwhelmed with emotions, Toews wrote, "I knew what it meant when I was a kid and growing up and being a Winnipegger all these years, but to come back and witness it first hand, being a Winnipeg Jet, it’s amazing.

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He further added, “And thank you for giving me the opportunity to live out my dream of pulling on that Jets sweater and playing in front of my hometown community, my family, my friends, all the people who supported me through the years.

It meant a lot to them, and it means a lot to me."Earlier, his professional career was disrupted due to his health condition. In recent years, Toews has battled chronic immune response syndrome and long COVID, which caused him to miss significant time. He took a healing journey to India, undergoing an Ayurvedic Panchakarma detox to address his health issues. Jonathan ended his career with the Winnipeg Jets, with whom he signed a one-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets on July 1, 2025, for a total value of $2 million.

As per PuckPedia, the contract has a cap hit of $2 million for the 2025-2026 season. Besides, Stanley Cup, Toews, who has 119 points (45 goals, 74 assists) in 137 playoff games, also won the Selke Trophy in 2012-13, voted annually as the League's best defensive forward. Jonathan Toews also won two Olympic gold medals representing Canada in men's ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, and at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.Following the announcement, Chicago Blackhawks chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz praised Toews’ impact on the organization, stating that his place in franchise and hockey history would be remembered for generations. Meanwhile, Jets captain Adam Lowry, remembering his contribution to NHL stated, “All of us were fortunate to grow up watching him and then play against him and then get the opportunity to play with him. ... Three Stanley Cups (with Chicago), Olympic gold, Conn Smythe. He did it all. He's a winner, he's a leader.”Indeed, Toews leaves the sport as one of the defining leaders of the generation and one of the most influential players of all time. His legacy will be forever remembered both on and off the ice.