IN THEIR WORDS: Toews a Natural-Born Leader

Jonathan Toews has been the longest-tenured captain in Blackhawks history, and for good reason.
Whether it's taking the newcomers under his wing, making sure all are welcome in team outings or being the voice of reason in the room when its needed most, No. 19 is a natural-born leader. Just ask the players he leads on a daily basis.

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RILEY STILLMAN:

"It's something that you can't teach. He's a born leader and he's someone who comes to the rink every day ready to work -- on the ice, off the ice, at dinner, at lunch, whenever it is. He's just all the way through a leader and a special player. You've seen that over the course of his career. He's huge for our team, he's huge for our organization, he's huge for our city and he's an all-around person that you aspire to be."
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ALEX DeBRINCAT:

"I think he's always here to win. He does a great job mentoring young guys and making them feel comfortable when they come in the locker room. My first year, he did a great job with me and made me feel comfortable right from the start. That's a great leadership quality. And out on the ice, he's doing all the right things and really wants to win. I think that's contagious through the team."
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KEVIN LANKINEN:

"I think he's a tremendous leader. Just his character and his charm when he comes in, he just reads the room so well. He takes good care of the younger guys who might not have been through the same things that he has. He shows them around and makes them feel comfortable. For me as a new guy a couple years ago, we had a good couple chats for lunch and now we're buddies hanging out for dinner. Whether it's in the gym or on the ice, he's always going full speed. It's pretty cool to see that drive and passion he has."
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CONNOR MURPHY:

"I don't think it's even possible to measure the impact a guy like him has just because of how he contributes off the ice as well as winning games on the ice in so many different ways. Off the ice, whether you're a new guy or a guy who has been around awhile, he knows when to speak and say the right things that's going to pick a team up at the right time or keep it going at the right time. We all learn so much off of him and his leadership or his presence and how much he means to the organization and to each one of his teammates."
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PATRICK KANE:

"He had those leadership qualities when he was young and I think when he came into the league everyone thought that he was probably going to be our next captain. There was really no one else that was going to overtake him for that job. I think he's so competitive on the ice, he plays the game the right way and he also has a certain presence about him in the locker room when he speaks or when he is just around. We saw it especially this year with him being out for a few games and then he comes back and the locker room feels more complete. He has a certain presence when he speaks and really knows how to say the right things at the right time.
"When he was given captain at a young age, sometimes there's a lot of pressure with that and I think he continued to be himself. He didn't try to be anyone else. I think he leaned on other guys to help him out with leadership but he continued to be himself. You win three Stanley Cups, obviously there's a lot of greatness that comes with that. When you lift it three times as a captain, all the sudden you're mentioned with some of the other great captains that have played in the NHL and he's right up there with all of them. I've been fortunate to come into the league with him, play with him and also have him as a captain to help guide our team."
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SETH JONES:

"He's obviously a very intense guy and brings that intensity I think every game and puts a lot of onus on himself to lead by example and lead our team on and off the ice. It's been a pleasure learning from him just this half year I've been here so far. His reputation is being one of the best leaders this game's seen and he's been nothing short of that in my eyes."
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CALVIN de HAAN:

"I think he was the first guy to text or call me when I got traded here and I think since I've been here, I've become good friends with him over the years and he's a great guy on and off the ice. There's not enough nice things to say about him at the end of the day. It's hard to put into words. It's hard to talk about because he's such a good person and he's a great leader. He includes everyone in everything that we do as a team, not only players, but staff as well. He's got a huge heart, too, and that's what makes a great leader."
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TYLER JOHNSON:

"You can see why everyone calls him such a great leader. He's always around the guys, he always knows the right things to say, includes everyone. He's a true pro. It's the reason why he's won three Cups. He sacrifices everything he has for the team and offensively, defensively, he does everything right. Even off the ice, he's constantly working, constantly getting better. He rubs off on guys in that sense. He's the epitome of a leader and he's a guy that you need on your team. We're very, very lucky that we have him."