Toews-mania hits Winnipeg

Toews-mania hits ‘Peg — Winnipeg Sun

Winnipeg may not have won the Stanley Cup, but it sure seemed like it on Sunday.

Thousands of fans lined the streets of St. Vital as a parade featuring hometown hero Jonathan Toews and hockey’s holy grail wound its way to the Dakota Community Club.

Make that the Jonathan Toews Community Centre, as the facility where Toews cut his hockey teeth as a youngster has been officially renamed, much to the surprise of the star of the show.

Toews Captain Humble — Winnipeg Sun

“It’s easy to take the credit when you’re on a winning team. You’ve really got to realize it was more just taking advantage of an opportunity than anything else. You work hard to get those opportunities. That’s all I attribute it to: I worked hard and got lucky. Things went my way.”

Slideshow of Toews’ visit to Winnipeg — Winnipeg Sun

All eyes on Toews as he brings Lord Stanley home – NHL.com

He always wondered what bringing the Stanley Cup home to Winnipeg would be like, but never in those daydreams did Jonathan Toews picture an estimated 15,000 people would greet him as a hero and the city would rename his own community center in his honor.

Hometown honours a winner – Winnipeg Free Press

“We were trying to think of something unique and enduring” to honour Toews, Selinger said. “It’s rare,” he said of the naming. “We do it for people who make an outstanding contribution in their field.”

“I never imagined something like this would happen — a lake named after me in my home province,” said Toews, an avid fisher. He joked that he’ll build a road so people can visit his lake.

Winnipeg gives Toews warm welcome home – Chicago Tribune

Ace Burpee, the local radio personality who emceed the ceremonies, added he thought Toews outdrew the Queen, referring to Queen Elizabeth II’s July 3 visit to Winnipeg.

“Of course, she didn’t bring a Stanley Cup with her,” Burpee said.

Toews friendship inspires greatness – TSN.ca

But nowhere is Toews bigger than in a home two doors down from where he grew up, and where his parents still live.

That’s the home of Cam MacDonald, owner of six Toews jerseys, going as far back as the University of North Dakota, where Toews starred for the Fighting Sioux.

“He’s been my hero for a long time,” MacDonald was saying Sunday.

MacDonald, 18, was born with cerebral palsy, an affliction that’s had him down, but not out.

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