- Patrick Kane says he has been pushing Jonathan Toews to play one more year in Chicago
- Toews retired in June after a one-season comeback with his hometown Jets
- Read below for Kane’s full comments and where a Toews return would leave the Blackhawks
Patrick Kane has been working on Jonathan Toews behind the scenes, and his old captain has not shut the door.
Kane sat in studio with Pardon My Take on Monday, a few weeks after signing his two-year deal to come back to Chicago. Talk turned to Toews, and Kane admitted he has already made the pitch himself.
“I said, ‘Hey, maybe you come back for a year?’ He was like, ‘I’m thinking about it,’” Kane said.
That is not a yes. It is also nowhere close to the flat no most retired 38-year-olds hand out in July, which is why Chicago spent Monday night doing math on a 19 and 88 reunion.
Take a look at Kane’s full sit-down with the guys, fresh off his introductory press conference:
Toews announced his retirement in June at the Winnipeg sportsplex that carries his name. That capped a one-year run with the Jets, his first NHL hockey since 2023 after chronic immune issues pushed him out of the game.
Chicago was already planning to get his name back on a contract. GM Kyle Davidson said last week the Blackhawks would love to sign Toews to a one-day deal so he can retire as a Blackhawk.
Watching Kane get his own reunion clearly stirred something. Toews texted him that he was “straight-up jealous” when the signing went through, and now the guy doing the recruiting is his old linemate instead of a general manager.
The hockey argument is thinner than the nostalgia one. Chicago has missed the playoffs six straight seasons and has not won a series since the 2015 Cup run, so a sentimental one-year center does not change where this roster sits.
Connor Bedard has never played a playoff game. Kane came back at 37 to help fix that, and he clearly thinks the guy who wore the C for 15 years still has something left for it.
Opening night is Sept. 29 in Vegas. Toews has roughly two months to decide whether he wants the ceremony or the ice.
