One of the faces of the NHL will take the ice on Wednesday night for Game 1 of his third Stanley Cup Final appearance with two wins under his belt already.
For Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, this is nothing new. He's been there and he has conquered. In a frantic comeback effort to force overtime in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final and again in Game 7, Toews scored two goals to lead his team.
Chicago lost Game 5 with Toews on the ice. They rallied to take Game 6 and, behind Toews, claimed Game 7.
He is arguably the best captain in the NHL today. But before he turned into a household name, he was a star at North Dakota, playing for Dave Hakstol.
Known as Captain Serious to many hockey fans, he was a fixture of Hakstol's earliest seasons teams at North Dakota.
Toews, who played for the Sioux in 2005-06 and 2006-07, took the ice for a total of 76 games with North Dakota, scoring 40 goals and adding 45 assists for 85 points. In his eight-year NHL career, Toews has 506 points in 565 games and 99 more points in 111 playoff games.
"I’d describe Jonathan as a complete hockey player. He’s extremely competitive," Hakstol said in an interview with Hockey's Future prior to Toews being drafted in 2006. "He has the size to become a very effective power forward but also has good puck poise and the ability to use the people around him. I really don’t think that there are any true weaknesses to his game. I think he’s a fairly complete player right now. I think it’s just a matter of him developing all the different parts of his game and raising his level of play."
The connection between Toews and Hakstol doesn't hold any meaning to the transition Hakstol faces with the Flyers. Just because one of his players – among several NHL products – turned into a superstar and leader of a dynasty does not mean success is imminent for Hakstol.
But there is hope from Toews, just as there is in T.J. Oshie, Travis Zajac and Chris VandeVelde – all Hakstol products from North Dakota.
"I think you'll see him do well," Toews said in an NHL.com interview following Hakstol's hiring in Philadelphia. "Obviously it was a lot of fun to play for him in North Dakota. It was important years for myself and my career, so it's nice to see him have that success and get recognized and get the opportunity at the highest level."
Hakstol preaches strong work ethic and preparation. He enforces an approach that desires perfection and will not settle for less than a complete effort.
When the game was on the line for the Blackhawks in their series with the Ducks, Toews jumped into the spotlight.
The playoffs often times display the true leaders of their respected teams. Toews already made that known in the 2010 playoffs, leading Chicago to their first Stanley Cup championship in 49 years. That year, he was the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy.
But Toews' contributions go beyond just two championships. It's the Chicago dynasty that has grown with him that make him perhaps the best leader in the NHL.
In eight seasons, Toews will have played in three Stanley Cup Finals, winning two so far, and made five trips to the Western Conference Final, having now advanced three times.
Hakstol's teams at North Dakota regularly made appearances in the Frozen Four – seven times in 11 seasons. So regularity in regards to deep playoff runs is something that Toews was already familiar with in college.
Much like with Toews, the Flyers should be hoping Hakstol's biggest success and elevation to a new height comes in the NHL as well.
So when you watch the Stanley Cup Final this season – featuring an upstart Tampa Bay Lightning team opposing the dynasty in progress that is the Chicago Blackhawks – keep a close eye on Jonathan Toews, a Dave Hakstol product that went straight from college to the pros and never looked back.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
