“Am I dreaming or is this real life?” Jonathan Toews takes to Instagram to share his excitement in joining the Winnipeg Jets

There has been plenty of reaction from around the league since the news broke on Friday that three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Toews was returning to the NHL with his hometown Winnipeg Jets. However aside from a quote in the news release put out by the team we haven’t yet heard from him (and don’t expect to until after he signs officially on July 1st).

On Saturday he took to his personal Instagram account to share some photos from the Jets 1.0 days when he was growing up in Winnipeg

And to express his excitement to join his hometown team after a two year absence from the game:

“Am I dreaming, or is this real life?

My earliest hockey memories are of watching the Jets, pre ‘96 at the Winnipeg Arena. I remember being glued to my seat in the upper deck, unable to move an inch because the nose bleeds were savagely steep and high, but also because I was immediately mesmerized by the game of hockey.

Never would I have thought that someday I’d skate on the ice down below, my dream of reaching the NHL coming full circle to playing in the very city that raised me.

I’ve never been more proud to be from Winnipeg. Thank you to everyone for the love and support, and to the Jets organization for making another childhood dream come true.”

From what we’ve been hearing from his fellow Manitobans the excitement is being returned in spades.