Toews is proof numbers don't tell the whole story of a player's accomplishments.

The Winnipeg-born center helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup three times in a span of six seasons from 2009-10 through 2014-15. His biggest individual accomplishment came in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when, as a 22-year-old, became the second-youngest player to be voted winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after finishing with 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 22 games to help the Blackhawks end a 49-year Stanley Cup Playoff drought.

He has never finished an NHL season with more than 35 goals or 81 points, and he has never led the League in a major offensive category. What Toews has done, however, is win.

In 2013, when Chicago won the Cup again, Toews won the Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward. Two years later, he helped the Blackhawks win yet again and won the Mark Messier Leadership Award, recognizing contributions by a player to his team and community. In 2017, at age 28, Toews was named among the 100 Greatest NHL players.

By that time, Toews had already been Chicago captain for seven seasons. He was 20 when the Blackhawks named him captain on July 18, 2008, prior to his second season. He had played 64 NHL games. No player in League history had been named captain faster.

He's also a member of the Triple Gold Club, having helped Canada win gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the 2014 Sochi Olympics, as well as finish first at the 2007 IIHF World Championship. For good measure, he also helped power Canada to the 2006 and 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

The selection of Toews with the No. 3 pick in the 2006 NHL Draft marked a turning point in Chicago's fortunes. The Blackhawks had qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs once between 1997 and 2006, and fan interest had plummeted. Chicago couldn't afford to miss, and it didn't.

Toews played one more season at the University of North Dakota before turning pro and joining the Blackhawks in 2007-08. His 69 points (34 goals, 35 assists) in 2008-09 helped Chicago qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2002 -- but so did his all-around game, his leadership and his presence on the ice. He was dubbed "Captain Serious" by teammate Brent Seabrook, though as he noted later, "It's not like I never laugh."

In time, Toews grew more comfortable with the nickname, even poking fun at it during a 2015 public service announcement promoting good manners during games. But there's no doubting he lives up to it after the puck drops.

"Jonathan brings it every night," said Scotty Bowman, a Hockey Hall of Fame coach and the Blackhawks senior adviser to hockey operations. "It's one thing to have ability, but another to compete. You are not going to outcompete Toews."

Toews played his 1,000th NHL game March 31, 2022, when the Blackhawks lost 4-0 at the Florida Panthers. He became the eighth Chicago player and the 336th NHL player to reach the milestone. He and Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane became the 11th set of teammates to play 1,000 regular-season NHL games together in a 7-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Dec. 18.

Toews scored in his final game with the Blackhawks, a 5-4 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at United Center on April 13, 2023. Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson announced that morning they would not re-sign the longtime captain, who played 1,067 games (372 goals, 511 assists) for Chicago.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• WCHA Second All-Star Team (2007)
• NCAA West First All-American Team (2007)
• NHL All-Rookie Team (2008)
• Olympic All-Star Team (2010)
• Best Forward Olympics (2010)
• NHL Second All-Star Team (2013)
• Played in NHL All-Star Game (2009, 2011, 2015, 2017)