The praise and compliments for Jonathan Toews continue to pour in. This time, it was former Hawks great Jeremy Roenick with strong compliments about the Blackhawks captain.
"Jonathan Toews is one of the best captains in all of sports... right now he could be, arguably, the MVP of the National Hockey league," Roenick said Friday on Chicago Tribune Live. "It's not so much his talent -- his raw talent is fantastic -- but his mentality, his grit and his dedication to the game and his dedication to his team. He's a captain in all senses of the word."
Toews is enjoying the best start of his career, with 17 goals and 15 assists (32 points) in 29 games. The 23-year-old has scored 12 goals in his last 14 games.
Roenick feels Toews felt extra-motivated after the Hawks' disappointing 2010-11 season and believes the team could accomplish special things once again if teammates follow Toews' lead.
"I think he was embarrassed with what happened last year after they won the Cup, the season that they went through," Roenick went on to say. "Coming back this year, he's focused, he's in great shape and he's elevating his game and because he elevates his game everybody on the team has to elevate their game. If he continues to do that, this team is going to be very difficult to beat because of their captain."
What does Roenick think about NHL realignment? Watch the video to find out and let us know if you agree with his assessment of Toews by leaving a comment below.