Chicago Blackhawks 34-year-old forward and captain Jonathan Toews reacted to the team’s rebuilding strategy and spoke about his future. His contract with the club is valid for another year.
Some things are out of my control, even though it’s a strange role for a captain. Will the rebuild take five years? That doesn’t sound very appealing to me. The staff turnover is really tiring and draining. We had a connection with Alex and Kirby, but they’re gone. What does the future hold for me? I really don’t know. I just have to play and think about the challenges that await me tomorrow. Focused on that very thing.
I can say that at my age, I really love the game again, find joy in it, play with passion and at a high level. I feel I can still give a lot to this team and to hockey in general. I’m happy to prove it to myself and to everyone. But I can’t make any promises. The fans and the club need to know that my heart and dedication is with them. Chicago is my home. Being here is the craziest dream I could have imagined since the day I got drafted. What more could you want? – Toews was quoted by The Athletic.
Recall, earlier Chicago management announced plans to rebuild the team. The club traded second-leading scorer Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators and forward Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens. Afterwards, The Athletic’s journalist Mark Lazerus criticized Chicago Blackhawks management for their selection policies, writing in a piece that “the grand plan involves creating a situation in Chicago so intolerable that Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews come in and ask to be traded.”
Toews, who has played for Chicago since 2007, will have a contract worth $10.5 million per season for one more year.