- GM Kyle Davidson says the Blackhawks would “love” to bring Jonathan Toews back on a one-day contract
- Nothing is finalized, but Davidson called the ceremonial retirement “likely”
- Read below for Davidson’s full comments and how Kane fits in
Jonathan Toews could get one more day in a Blackhawks sweater.
Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson said Friday the team would love to sign its former captain to a one-day contract so he can officially retire where he built his legacy. Davidson was asked about the idea during Patrick Kane’s introductory press conference.
“We’d love to have Jonathan back and bring him back,” Davidson said. “We did it with (former forward) Marian Hossa. Nothing is set in stone or anything, but I think it’s likely we’ll go down (that path).”
Hear Davidson and Kane meet the media:
Toews retired from the NHL on June 19 after a final season with his hometown Winnipeg Jets. He had missed the prior two years dealing with health issues before that comeback.
His Chicago roots run deep. The Blackhawks drafted him third overall in 2006, named him captain in 2008, and watched him win three Stanley Cups alongside Kane in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
We laid out the plan on our timeline:
The plan lines up with Kane’s return. Davidson signed No. 88 to a two-year deal on Thursday, and the GM lit up at the thought of getting both franchise pillars back in the building at once.
“He’s a guy we want to recognize and make sure he’s honored,” Davidson said of Toews. “Having him back with ’88’ back in a Blackhawks sweater would be a pretty exciting thing.”
Toews ranks sixth in Blackhawks history in goals (372) and points (883) across 15 seasons in Chicago. He finished his career with 912 points in 1,149 games and won Olympic gold with Canada twice.
Davidson said there are no concrete plans yet, but he expects an announcement when the paperwork is ready. Chicago fans already gave Toews a three-minute ovation in January when he came back with the Jets. A retirement as a Blackhawk would give them one more chance to do it.
