Kane intrigued about playing on line with Bedard for Blackhawks

CHICAGO -- Just one day into his second stint with the Chicago Blackhawks, Patrick Kane already has begun thinking about playing alongside Connor Bedard.

“I mean, how can you not? He’s such a special player,” Kane said Friday, a day after he signed a two-year, $16 million contract ($8 million average annual value) to return to the Blackhawks. 

“This will be my 20th year in the League, and I’ll probably see passes I’ve never seen before playing with him. That speaks to how great of a player he is. But yeah, wherever I fit in, I fit in. No matter who it’s with, I’m going to try to make the most of it.”

If Kane is to be a linemate of Bedard's, it won't happen until sometime in November; the 21-year-old center will miss the beginning of the season because of left shoulder surgery to repair an injury he sustained during an on-ice workout in Vancouver on July 2. 

Until then, Kane will bring his best game and help the young Blackhawks continue to grow and start winning again. And what Chicago is building is what ultimately led the 37-year-old forward to choose the Blackhawks over the Buffalo Sabres, his hometown team, after playing for the Detroit Red Wings the past three seasons.

“It was about coming to a team where I think I can fit in well, a team that’s on the rise, a team that’s looking to make some big steps forward and trying to make the (Stanley Cup Playoffs),” said Kane, who won the Stanley Cup three times with Chicago, in 2010, 2013 and 2015. 

“All that other stuff, all that is great, but that’s not why I’m here. That’s not the story. It’s to come back, help this team win, help this team get in the playoffs. It’s great to be a Blackhawk again -- I’m familiar with the city, the facilities and situation -- but I want to come back and make a difference and help the team win.”

The situation for Chicago, which has missed the playoffs eight times in the past nine seasons, is similar to what it was when the Blackhawks selected Kane with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NHL Draft. At that time, Chicago had also failed to qualify for the playoffs in eight of nine seasons, but Kane, as part of a core along with forwards Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp and defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook turned it around, and the Blackhawks reached the postseason nine straight times between 2008-17, including those three Cup titles.

Kane has 1,400 points (508 goals, 892 assists) in 1,369 regular-season games for the Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Red Wings, and ranks third in Chicago history in goals (446) behind Hockey Hall of Famers Bobby Hull (604) and Stan Mikita (541), and second in assists (779) and points (1,225). Mikita had 926 assists and 1,467 points. Kane is third on Chicago's all-time list with 1,161 games played, behind Mikita (1,396) and Keith (1,192).

Kane scored his 500th NHL goal on Jan. 8, broke Mike Modano's record for points by an United States-born player when he scored his 1,375th on Jan. 29, and reached 1,400 points on April 13.

Named one the 100 Greatest Players in NHL history during the League's Centennial celebration in 2017, he's also familiar with helping young players find their way in the NHL, because it's something he did through the final years of his first tenure in Chicago from 2007-23. 

“That’s going to be important for me early on, to develop those relationships with the young guys. I saw something where (center Anton) Frondell is closer to my son in age than he is to me,” Kane said to laughs.

Kane’s son, Patrick III, is 5 years old and Frondell is 19.

“That’s going to be a little bit different, but at the same time, I think it’s great," Kane said. "I love playing with young guys. It helps keeps me fresh. 

"I look at my past with a lot of young players: (Ryan) Hartman, (Nick) Schmaltz, (Artemi) Panarin, (Alex) DeBrincat, (Lukas) Raymond in Detroit. I’ve really hit it off with a lot of those guys when they were younger.”

The return to Chicago may not be the biggest story for Kane, but it’s part of the story. Kane said people were sending him social media posts of Blackhawks fans excited about his return.

Kane received an incredible ovation on Feb. 25, 2024, when he came back to Chicago with the Red Wings, for the first time since he was traded to the Rangers on Feb. 28, 2023. He can only imagine what’s coming when the Blackhawks play their regular-season home opener against the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 6.

“I remember coming back last year," he said, "and I was on the ice for the national anthem and I was just so shocked at how loud it was and I was thinking to myself, ‘This is how loud it is every game? Did I take it for granted when I was here?’ But it felt so loud when I was out there so I’m sure it’ll be the same type of feeling going out there for the first home game and being back.”

“I think it’ll be pretty electric.”