Jets' Jonathan Toews will be facing his former team, the Chicago Blackhawks, for the first time later this week, and he opened up and got emotional over it. The 37-year-old Winnipegger Jonathan Toews is <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/winnipeg-jets/jonathan-toews-shares-a-special-moment-with-the-winnipeg-crowd-in-his-first-game-as-a-jet' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>as proud as ever of his hometown team.</a> He's thrilled to see Kyle Connor locked up long-term and believes this Jets core of skilled players is built to compete for the Stanley Cup for years to come. Winnipeg's little market deserves it, and Jonathan Toews, hometown hero, couldn't be happier to be along for the ride. But old habits die hard. Like most hockey players, <a href='https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6754877/2025/10/28/jonathan-toews-health-blackhawks-jets-nhl-return/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Toews still has a soft spot for the Chicago Blackhawks</a>, the team he captained through its dynastic 2010s. <h3>Jonathan Toews watches every Blackhawks game when the Jets have an off day</h3> So when the Jets are not playing and the Hawks are, you can bet he's still watching. You can take the captain out of Chicago, but not the Chicago out of the captain. They've been fun to watch - they have a lot of good, young talent, Toews told The Athletic on Monday. I think Kyle (Davidson) and Norm (Maciver) have a pretty good idea of where the team has come from and what we've lacked as far as replenishing the team with draft picks. And now they have a good idea where the team is headed. There's no guarantees, but it looks like some of the young picks are going to turn into good players. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/MarkLazerus/status/1983151008688570726'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Thursday's home matchup with the Blackhawks has been circled on Toews' calendar since the day he inked his one-year contract with Winnipeg. I've been watching them a lot on TV and it's strange - it does feel like a completely different team, he said. They're just wearing the same jerseys. It's now been over two and a half years since he's pulled on that iconic sweater, netting one last goal in front of a crazed United Center crowd. For a time, it appeared that would be the last fans would see of him on NHL ice. And here he is anyway, skating hard, battling for wins, and finding his rhythm again after a lengthy rehab. Slower, yes, but still razor-sharp, still gritty, still very much Jonathan Toews. With five points in nine games, he's showing longevity is defined in terms of experience, not age. Now, Toews admits he's learning to live in the moment, thankful just to be back where he belongs. I couldn't have imagined a better reception from the people here, he said. I think they're really proud and happy to have one of their own playing for the Jets. It's a wild thing - after being in Chicago all those years, after a while, Chicago feels small. But it was easy to forget how small Winnipeg really is, and how everyone pretty much knows each other. The jersey may be different, but not the heart. Thursday night, Chicago's former captain will look across the ice and see his past, while skating full speed into his future.