Winnipeg, Manitoba (AP) – Jonathan Toews announced his retirement Friday, ending a decorated NHL career that included three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals and a comeback season with his hometown Winnipeg Jets.

The 38-year-old center returned to the NHL in 2025-26 after a two-year absence related to Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and long COVID, recording 11 goals and 18 assists while appearing in all 82 games for Winnipeg.

“I want to sit here and say I have no regrets,” Toews said before about 100 invited guests at the Jonathan Toews Sportsplex. “I did the best that I could with what I knew at the time. That’s part of the journey. It’s not always going to be perfect.

“All in all, if someone told me when I was getting drafted that we would be standing here today and this is how my career would go out, I would have signed up for that 100 times over.”

Toews spent 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, captaining the franchise to Stanley Cup titles in 2010, 2013 and 2015 while winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010.

He finished his NHL career with 383 goals and 529 assists in 1,149 regular-season games and was recognized as one of the league’s premier two-way forwards.

“I would have loved to have played longer and maybe hit a few personal milestones, but at the end of the day, I’m thankful for the team success I was able to be a part of,” Toews said. “That means the world to me.”

Toews also starred for Canada on the international stage, winning Olympic gold twice in 2010 and 2014, the World Cup in 2016, a world championship in 2007 and consecutive world junior titles in 2006 and 2007.

His final season allowed one of Manitoba’s most accomplished hockey players to complete a full-circle return home before stepping away from the game.

Toews had 11 goals and 29 points in 82 games for Winnipeg.

“The energy and the conditioning, it was never quite where I wanted it to be,” Toews said. “The speed of the game has definitely gone up and mine didn’t quite follow that.”

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL