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Jonathan Toews – A Life on Skates (From Winnipeg to Winning the Cup)

You could say that Jonathan Toews was born to be on ice. The future Stanley Cup^® winner was feeling his edges and mastering the blades around local rinks as a kid. Since then, he has gone on to become one of the NHL’s most celebrated players.

Born on a chilly day in St. Boniface-Winnipeg on April 29, 1988, Toews was destined to spend his life on the ice since the moment his father put his first pair of skates on him when he was just three years old. When he wasn’t at his local arena skating, he was tearing up homemade ice in his backyard with his dad and his younger brother, David.

It wasn’t long before Toews showed a gift for Canada’s national sport. By the time he was in his teens he was gaining the attention of hockey scouts who could see that this kid had a talent for the game. In high school he’d been drafted #1 by the Tri-City Americans, but chose to play for his high school instead, a pretty brave move for a kid with the world being offered to him.

He grinded his way through NCAA hockey at the University of North Dakota and as a result was noticed by scouts. He was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks^® in 2006, made the NHL^® in 2007, and that’s when his life on ice really began to pick up speed. In no time, he went from talented newbie to assistant captain and by 2009 he was named captain of the Chicago Blackhawks ^® at the tender age of 20 – the third youngest in NHL^® history.

The best was yet to come, as 2010 became a golden year for the young star. First, Toews was picked to play with Team Canada in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games where they achieved gold medal glory by defeating Team USA. If that wasn’t enough, he led the Chicago Blackhawks^® to Stanley Cup^® victory – their first win in nearly 50 years!

The kid from Winnipeg came home a hero when 15,000 folks lined the streets to see Toews bring home Lord Stanley. The young man with the gift for the rink even saw the arena where he learned to play named after him – the Jonathan Toews Community Centre – where his accomplishments are sure to inspire future hockey stars today and for years to come.