Kane's top 10 moments with Blackhawks 

CHICAGO -- Showtime is back at United Center.

Patrick Kane, the face of the Chicago Blackhawks for 16 seasons before he was traded to the New York Rangers on Feb. 28, 2023, and then played the past three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, is coming home. 

The 37-year-old signed a two-year, $16 million contract to return to the Blackhawks on Thursday.

Selected by the Blackhawks with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, Kane and captain Jonathan Toews helped Chicago return to glory, winning Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

After finishing the 2022-23 season with the Rangers, Kane had hip resurfacing surgery June 1, signed with the Red Wings as an unrestricted free agent Nov. 28. 

Kane has 1,400 points (508 goals, 892 assists) in 1,369 regular-season games for the Red Wings, Rangers and Blackhawks.

He 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 points and 1,467 points. Kane is third on Chicago's all-time list with 1,161 games played, behind Mikita (1,396) and Hall of Famer Duncan 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.

With Kane coming back to the place where he started his NHL career, NHL.com Chicago-based staff writer Tracey Myers takes a look back at Kane's top 10 moments with the Blackhawks. 

1. 2010 Stanley Cup winner

NBC play-by-play announcer Doc Emrick wasn't sure the puck was in the net. Most of the Blackhawks weren't sure either, but Kane knew immediately that his shot past Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton was the overtime winner in Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final on June 9, 2010. Kane's goal, which he celebrated by tossing his stick and gloves, shaking his hands and skating down to hug Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi, ended a 49-year Cup drought for the Blackhawks and was the first of three the Blackhawks would win during the next six seasons.

2. Together for 1,000

The game itself was tough, a 7-1 loss to the New York Rangers, but it nevertheless was a memorable night when Kane and Toews played their 1,000th NHL game together Dec. 18, 2022. Kane and Toews were the 11th set of teammates to play 1,000 regular-season games together and the second active pair to do so, along with Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty and forward Anze Kopitar (1,131).

3. Cue the "Heartbreaker"

Kane's patented "heartbreaker" celebration didn't start until June 8, 2013, when he capped his second Stanley Cup Playoff hat trick with a goal in double-overtime to eliminate the Los Angeles Kings in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final. After finishing a 2-on-1 rush with Toews, Kane slid on his knees, drew a heart in the air and punched it. An iconic moment, and a celebration that’s still used by players at various levels today.

4. Kane’s short-handed goal vs. Predators

We all vividly remember Marian Hossa coming out of the penalty box to score the winning goal in the Blackhawks' 5-4 overtime victory against the Nashville Predators in Game 5 of the 2010 Western Conference Quarterfinals on April 24, 2010. But Kane’s short-handed goal -- yes, short-handed -- is what got the Blackhawks to overtime in the first place. Kane scored with 13.6 seconds remaining in the third period to give the Blackhawks a chance, and Hossa finished it off. It's the only short-handed goal Kane has scored in his NHL career and it couldn't have come at a bigger time.

5. Kane reaches 1,000 points

He reached this milestone when he got the secondary assist on Brandon Saad's goal at 14:14 of the third period in a 5-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 19, 2020. At age 31 years, 61 days at the time, Kane was the youngest United States-born player to reach 1,000 points, ahead of Jeremy Roenick (32 years, 13 days). As fans cheered, Blackhawks players came off the bench to congratulate Kane, a celebration Toews had arranged with officials prior to the game.

6. The point

Kane's goal at 14:46 of the third period of Chicago's 2-0 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final wasn't the game and Cup winner on June 15, 2015. That belonged to defenseman Duncan Keith, who had scored at 17:13 of the second period. But Kane's goal nevertheless was the dagger, and his connection with center Brad Richards was stellar. Richards came through the slot and, at the last second, passed to Kane, who sent a slap shot past Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop. Kane dropped to one knee and pointed toward Richards in appreciation of the pass. That was the exclamation point to the Blackhawks' third Cup win in six seasons.

7. Saucy spin-o-rama

Kane's scored a few goals on the spin-o-rama, the move originated by Hockey Hall of Fame forward Denis Savard, who coached Kane in his first two NHL seasons. The prettiest, however, may have come against the Dallas Stars on March 16, 2013. The Blackhawks already were leading Dallas 7-1 when Kane spun around then Stars defenseman Brenden Dillon and scored. Stars color analyst Daryl Reaugh described it as "an artful, exotic spin-o-rama." Yes, it was nice.

8. This one's for grandpa

Kane had a very close relationship with his grandfather, Donald F. Kane, and was obviously shaken when he died prior to the Blackhawks playing the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 3, 2014. After scoring a power-play goal to give the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead at 1:02 of the first period, Kane kissed his left hand and pointed it toward the sky in honor of Donald. After the game, a very emotional Kane spoke of his grandfather. "He was one of my great friends growing up. Just a really sad, sad day."

9. 1,000 game ceremony

Kane played in his 1,000th game against the Stars at American Airlines Center in front of a sparse COVID-19-impacted crowd March 9, 2021. Kane waited to celebrate his milestone game until fans could be back at United Center to see it, and on Oct. 21, 2021, the ceremony was held there with 20,490 in attendance. Kane had tears in his eyes as his girlfriend, Amanda, and son, Patrick III, joined him on the ice, with Patrick III patting the "A" on his dad’s sweater as the ceremony began. It was worth the wait.

10. It's a bird, it's a plane …

No, it's Kane portraying his version of Superman at the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition in Ottawa. Kane got the help of Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa, also selected for that All-Star Game, who adorned him with a Superman cape and Clark Kent glasses on Jan. 28, 2012. Kane stickhandled the puck a bit, then slid on his stomach, pushed the puck with his left hand to the stick in his right and scored past St. Louis Blues goaltender Brian Elliott. It was teamwork at its fun-loving best.