Jonathan Toews will treat the Blackhawks’ final two home games this week as his Chicago farewell tour.
To deem it his farewell tour, period, might be going too far. He believes it’s still possible he could return to play hockey somewhere next season, if only because he hasn’t reached the point of conclusively deciding whether or not to retire. But he thoroughly believes this week at least marks his end with the Hawks.
“For myself, I’m taking it as if these are my last games in Chicago,” Toews said quietly, reflectively, in the corner of the visitor’s locker room Saturday in Seattle.
His past-tense usage was telling.
“I really worked hard and put a lot in to try to get back into the lineup before the end of the season so I could have the opportunity to do this and really soak it in for myself,” he added. “I owe so much to the fans and the people in the city that made it so special to be a Blackhawk for all these years. I owe a lot to the organization; they’ve given me everything.
“Sitting where I am right now, it’s hard to predict what the emotions will be like. But there’s no doubt that it’s starting to sink in, for sure.”
The Hawks will host the Wild on Monday and the Flyers on Thursday — with a road game Tuesday against the playoff-chasing Penguins in the middle — to wrap up their season.
For long-term benefit, it would behoove the organization to lose all three games. In that case, if the Blue Jackets earn just one point in their final three games (against the Flyers, Penguins and Sabres), the Hawks would finish last and guarantee a top-three draft pick.
Hawks fans are — understandably — not exactly clamoring to get a final glimpse of this 25-48-6 team. As of Sunday, resale tickets on Stubhub for the two games started at $22 and $26, respectively.
But Toews provides a very different — and far more compelling — storyline. In fact, it’s somewhat difficult to imagine the Hawks losing Thursday against an awful Flyers team in the captain’s emotional Chicago finale. That just wouldn’t feel right.
“I’m just going to go out there, play hard and try to...get the fans out of their seats a couple more times,” he said.
Toews hasn’t done anything remarkable in his first four games since rejoining the Hawks’ lineup, but he also hasn’t looked out of place, which is an impressive accomplishment in itself considering his health circumstances over the past few months.
He has averaged 15:35 of ice time through the four games, taking a passive role offensively — recording only two shots on goal — but winning 59.6% of his faceoffs.
The purpose of playing on this past road trip was to enjoy some free time with teammates and experience the rhythms of an NHL season potentially one final time. The purpose of playing this coming week, however, will be to feel the energy of Hawks fans one final time — and to acknowledge them in return, even though he’s not sure yet how he’ll go about doing that.
In between shifts, he has already begun taking time to gaze around at the arenas, at the fans, at the whole scene for which he has had a front-row seat for 15 years. But he expects to spend even more time doing so during these last two nights at the United Center.
“There will definitely be some moments where [I’ll] be taking some mental images, trying to soak in those memories,” he said.
And how will he put aside that nostalgia and emotion each time he hops over the boards and finds himself in the thick of action again?
“It’ll be fine,” he said. “I’ll find a way.”