The Winnipeg Jets will be back in action ever so soon, as today they announced that their training camp will begin on September 18th. Also included in this announcement was the training camp roster and schedule. The roster includes 6 goalies, 18 defenceman, and 31 forwards who will compete in various practices and 6 pre season games leading up to opening night on October 9th. Yesterday a few Jets took to the ice for an informal skate, including the newly signed three-time Stanley Cup Champion Jonathan Toews.

The media got the opportunity to speak with Toews for the first time since the team held a press conference to introduce Toews to the Jets. Throughout this ten minute media availability, there were several moments that stood out to me. I also observed (through Toews’ answers) that he was ready to be back in the NHL and ready to help be a leader on his hometown team. Toews brings 1067 games of NHL experience to this roster, scoring 372 goals and 511 assists for 883 points.

Toews first talked about how it feels great to have more teammates back around in Winnipeg. As more players returned to Winnipeg for the upcoming training camp, Toews has been taking the time to adjust and get to know his new teammates. In terms of how Toews feels physically, he said “pretty good… when you’re away from the game for that long it takes some time to get things up to speed, [but] it’s been good to be on the ice again”. Toews has been working on various drills that have allowed him to work on various aspects of his game.

Toews also talked about a question we asked here at JetsNation, which was how many pre-season games he would like to play. Toews said he didn’t want to give a specific number, but he will talk to head coach Scott Arniel soon to see what works as they look at the schedule day to day. Toews went on to discuss further how he’s been feeling during the summer and his appreciation from former teammates as he returns to the NHL for the first time in 2+ seasons.

You’ve probably seen some quotes floating around that show how Toews has already been idolized by his Jets teammates. The players understand how important of an addition Toews is to their team, and they’ve also praised his amazing career up until this point. Toews said “it’s flattering to be mentioned like that, I think I’ve gotten used to every kid growing up wanting to be like Patrick Kane, so I got a little tired of that *laughs*… but it feels good to hear”. One of the Jets top prospects, Brayden Yager, recently mentioned that growing up he was told to watch Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews as examples of players with an elite 200-foot game, so it’s a surreal moment for him to be on the same team today.

Toews ended his chat with the media by expressing his excitement for the first time the Jets play the Blackhawks in Chicago this season. That game won’t be until the middle of January, but it’s a game that Toews has already circled on his calendar. That game will be a night where he returns to play in the city that he played his entire NHL career in before joining the Jets. Speaking about Winnipeg, Toews said it felt great to return to Winnipeg to regain some familiarity with his hometown. The entire city of Winnipeg is ready to welcome Toews to the Jets, and you can bet that he will get a loud standing ovation when his name is called at the Canada Life Centre on October 9th during player introductions.