Jonathan Toews is coming home.

The longtime Chicago Blackhawks captain, who hasn’t played an NHL game in over two years, has agreed to a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets, the team announced Friday.

While Toews, 37, isn’t eligible to sign until July 1, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that he has made a verbal commitment to the Jets. The deal reportedly includes a $2 million base salary with additional performance bonuses tied to games played and team success.

“I’m grateful to be making my return to the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets,” Toews said in a statement. “It’s very special to come home and play in front of my family and friends in Manitoba. The Jets have been on the rise over the last few seasons and I’m eager to join the group and help however I can.”

The Winnipeg native last played during the 2022–23 season, where he suited up in 53 games with the Blackhawks and recorded 15 goals and 31 points. In August 2023, Toews announced he was stepping away from hockey to prioritize his health and recovery.

It wasn’t the first time health issues forced him out of the lineup. Toews missed the entire 2020–21 season while battling chronic immune response syndrome and the lingering effects of COVID-19.

Since his departure from the NHL, Toews has largely stayed out of the spotlight — until November, when he resurfaced on Instagram and shared that he had traveled to India to undergo an Ayurvedic Panchakarma detox. In a GQ feature, Toews opened up about the process, which included deep-tissue massages, yoga, meditation, and dietary cleanses. Despite speculation that his hockey career was over, he left the door open for a return.

“I’ve talked to a lot of the guys that are done, and a lot of them will say that desire to be on the ice competing and to be in the locker room with the guys never goes away,” Toews said in the GQ interview. “There’s a big part of me that really wants to give it my all, to get back on the ice and see where it takes me.”

Now, Toews gets the chance to do just that — in his hometown, no less.

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff expressed his excitement about adding Toews to the roster.

“We are excited to add a proven winner like Jonathan Toews to the Winnipeg Jets,” Cheveldayoff said in a release. “It will be a unique opportunity for Jonathan to play for his hometown team. His talent, drive, and experience will be a great complement to our club. We will withhold further comment until July 1.”

Toews brings a legendary résumé back to Manitoba. Over 15 NHL seasons and 1,067 regular-season games — all with Chicago — he tallied 372 goals and 511 assists while earning a reputation as one of the game’s premier two-way centers. He won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks (2010, 2013, 2015), two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada, and was widely regarded as the heartbeat of one of the NHL’s greatest dynasties.

Known as “Captain Serious” for his steady leadership and commitment to the game, Toews now has a new chapter to write — and it starts at home.