When defenseman Seth Jones joined the Chicago Blackhawks in July 2021, three-time Stanley Cup winners Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane still were anchoring the team.
Now both have departed and the Hawks have entered a rebuild. But with the addition of No. 1 draft pick Connor Bedard, hope surrounding the team has returned.
For Jones, though, regardless of the changes, the goal remains the same as it always was.
“I want one Stanley Cup,” he told the Tribune. “And that’s the main goal.”
The Hawks went a combined 54-91-19 in Jones’ first two seasons since he arrived in a draft-night trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets and then signed an eight-year, $76 million contract later that month.
“I’m doing what I love and there are some times it’s not easy,” he said. “You go through ups and downs, but at the end of the day, I get to do what I love. I come here. I work hard. I get better at it. It fulfills me mentally and physically. And being around these guys in the room, I’ve developed relationships with them as well.”
Longtime Hawks defenseman Connor Murphy has known Jones since high school, when they played with USA Hockey. He speaks highly of their relationship and Jones’ contributions to the game.
“He’s the type of defenseman that I admire for his size and how competitive he is,” Murphy said, “how much he stops and gets physical and plays out battles in the game. And then on top of that, he’s really good offensively.
“It’s cool to see guys that want to play defensive and offensive versus guys who just want to have an easy play offensive all night. So I admire his game for that, and then obviously I’ve known him for a while, so he’s been fun to play with.”
Jones represented the Hawks in the NHL All-Star Game in February, his fifth career selection, and finished the season with 12 goals and 25 assists in 72 games. He has one assist and two shots through the first two games this season.
This also is Jones’ first season with the Hawks without his brother Caleb. They joined the team 11 days apart — Caleb arrived in the Duncan Keith trade with the Edmonton Oilers — making them just the second set of brothers to be defensemen for the Hawks at the same time after Art and Thomas Coulter in 1933-34.
Caleb, who was an unrestricted free agent after last season, signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. Before he even played a regular-season game with the Hurricanes, they traded him to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
Despite the change in locations, the brothers keep in touch — though Seth said they don’t share too much advice.
“Growing up, it was just ultracompetitive,” he said. “Now I’m able to watch him play. I text him after (games) and say, ‘Keep doing your thing,’ stuff like that. Even before I came to Chicago. I tell him to just keep working hard (and) you’ll get your opportunities.”
Coming into this season, Jones voiced that he wanted to be a leader for the Hawks whether or not he became captain. “Out of respect” for Toews, the team decided not to name a captain this season, general manager Kyle Davidson announced in September.
“I don’t think anything’s going to change. Guys will step up, whether it’s vocally or whether it’s on the ice,” Jones said. “If the team’s not playing well, everyone’s open to say something. Doesn’t matter how old you are, doesn’t matter how many games you’ve played.”
Jones sets the tone with his on-ice play, Murphy said, and he brings leadership in other ways that may go unnoticed.
“He’s a guy that has always wanted to be around the guys, whether it’s to have fun at the rink or off ice,” Murphy said. “That’s important for a team and he’s good at that. Guys know that and are comfortable around him. He’s a guy that has their back and that wants to be around and have fun and lead.”
The Blue Jackets reached the playoffs in four of Jones’ six seasons in Columbus. In 37 career postseason games, he has five goals and 19 assists.
He admitted to “some sleepless nights” over not yet having the opportunity to play playoff hockey in Chicago, and he hopes his leadership and experience can help the team achieve that goal.
“I just come out there every day and not complain,” Jones said. “Just being myself. It’s trying to keep them even ahead, whether we lose five in a row or win five in a row. Not being satisfied. That’s a good leader leading by example. That’s the most important thing.
“If you’re not doing it on the ice, it doesn’t matter what you talk about. I put my head down and work and that’s all I’ve seen. It’s what I was raised to do. That’s all I really know.”