Rise Up (Jonathan Toews)

40| Back In Time

Jonathan

Before the playoffs start we get a few days off. And I get even more because I wasn't playing in the last few games of the regular season so my body could get a tiny break before the real games start.

So in this little break I decide to take Ariana up to my home town and show her around. She's never been and I haven't been since before my parents and I got into it. It was a nice time of the year up in Canada so I figured I can get away from life for a while and get back to where I came from.

We fly out pretty early from Chicago and get to Winnipeg around 9 am. We get our stuff and take it to a little house I rented for the two days we're gonna be here. We drop off the dog because Ari said she wasn't leaving without the dog and we decide to grab some breakfast. I get her some Tim Horton's and we find a nice park to sit at because we can't go past a park without playing in it.

"Why don't we have a Tim Hortons in Chicago" she asks me and I laugh.

"I'm not sure" I admit.

"Well I'm going to file a complaint. The city would be a lot happier if they had this hot chocolate and doughnuts" she declares.

"I can't argue with that" I laugh.

"What was your favorite part about growing up here" she wonders and I smile. She's the only one who has cared enough to ask questions like this. I hope that never changes.

"The outdoor rinks. I had one in my backyard and there was ones all throughout the neighborhoods. My dad kept it up and my brother and I would spend hours a day out there skating. I would have my friends over and we would scrimmage. I would get so mad that they didn't take those games seriously, I wanted so bad to keep getting better and better. No one my age understood that, no one understood me at all. My parents were the only ones who saw what I was trying to do. Them and my coaches" I shrug.

"You know there's more to life than being good at hockey right" she asks and I laugh.

"I know that now. Took me 24 years to realize that, because for the longest time hockey was all that mattered to me. Hockey around here is a way of life. You are judged based on your abilities out on the ice. I thought if I was the best on the ice I would be seen as the best off of it too.

But then I quickly noticed how my friends would go hang out and not invite me. They didn't want to hear about my workouts or stick handling drills. They wanted to be kids and I wanted to be better than anyone else my age. As far as hockey goes that's where I felt wanted and needed, so that's what I stuck with" I say.

"You're an amazing guy Jon, even back when you were a kid running around these streets telling people you were going to be in the NHL one day people knew you were something special. That fire inside you that you think is a nuisance, is a gift. It's passion and you live and play with more passion than anyone I know. And that passion comes across as controlling and serious sometimes, but to me it's as bright as day.

You'll always be this little Canadian kid who plays because he loves to. Because he's good because of his passion. And maybe you needed to come here to see that again" she claims.

"Oh baby, everything I need is in you. You're my favorite part of my past, present and future" I promise. She leans over and places a kiss on my cheek. I smile to myself because I meant what I said. I've had a pretty good life, but she's my favorite part.

After breakfast I decide to take her around the town. We don't have much time here so there wasn't that much I could do. But I take her to the rink I grew up in and we lace for up a little. I know I'm supposed to be off the ice but this isn't anything like work. This was bliss.

"Hey Jonny, watch this" she says as she does a figure skating jump. I smile as she lands and turns to me before striking a pose.

"That was impressive. You took ice skating lessons" I wonder.

"If it's on the ice I did it. Ice skating, hockey, speed skating, synchronized skating" she lists off.

"You did syncro" I gasp.

"No" she giggles. "But everything else I did. My mom wanted me to have a wide variety of sports to choose from. Even though she was young she always supported me. Wanted me to do something in my life so I felt like I had a purpose, like I wasn't a mistake. Her parents helped pay for me to do a sport so I didn't end up in a bad crowd. And I loved them all but hockey was my favorite" she explains.

"Why" I wonder.

"You know, I didn't choose hockey, hockey chose me. It's something that I love and something that I care about. At all levels and all ages this sport is something so exciting and so much fun. The other sports are fine but this one is the best and it's not even close" she insists.

We finish up skating and I take her to my parents house. My mom makes us dinner just like the good old days. We sit around the table and for the first time in a really really long time... I felt complete.

"You guys coming down for the playoffs" I wonder.

"Of course son, wouldn't miss it for the world" my dad claims.

"Will you be around" my mom asks Ari and I smile. She loved Ariana more than she loved most things.

"Of course! I'll be at every home game and in Chicago for the rest. I would love to hang out with you guys, introduce you to my family and we have maybe do a game night" Ari suggests.

"I would like that a lot" my mom admits.