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Toews, a Winnipeg native, began playing hockey at the community center, and its 95,000-square-foot recreational facility has been known as the Jonathan Toews Sportsplex since 2014. The campaign, which is the largest fundraising effort in the community center's history, is expected to go toward construction of a 60,000-square-foot fieldhouse that will connect to the Sportsplex.

"From my earliest days playing hockey, Dakota Community Centre has always played a pivotal role in my upbringing and career," Toews said. "Today I continue to be honored to have my name associated with the Sportsplex on the Dakota campus. My parents have instilled in me the importance of giving back, and I believe that in supporting Dakota, we will see endless possibilities for the community center's future and transformation in the lives of our community members."

Toews' donation is the largest private donation to a community center in Manitoba. It comes after his charitable efforts with The Kitchen Community, a non-profit organization that installs edible gardens in underserved schools, where he raffled off a meet-and-greet for Chicago's game against the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 10 to two fans who donated at least $10.