Any significant comeback inherently involves a degree of uncertainty. Nevertheless, it is strikingly evident that Jonathan Toews` return to the National Hockey League holds extra significance for everyone involved due to the fact that it is occurring in Manitoba.
Speaking publicly for the first time since he signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets on June 20th, after a full two-year hiatus from hockey, Toews was open and transparent about the deeply personal nature of this career development.
“I am genuinely feeling very fortunate to be able to play the game of hockey at this level again, especially for the Winnipeg Jets,” he stated.
It’s not commonplace for a city mayor and a provincial premier to personally appear to welcome a professional athlete, but this underscores the situation in this hockey-crazed and relatively smaller place. The region has transitioned from being proud of a local son`s achievements elsewhere to now enthusiastically cheering for that same individual while he competes in his hometown team`s colors.
Addressing the public reaction, Toews lightheartedly remarked, “I was joking earlier that I knew there would be some excitement, I somewhat anticipated that. But when my phone started buzzing non-stop the way it did after we announced it, the reality truly set in. I thought, OK, there is a considerable amount of pressure playing in a Canadian market and significant expectations, particularly given how the Jets have performed over the last few years. I am enthusiastic about being a part of all that.”
