CHICAGO \u2014 Patrick Kane in Chicago isn\u2019t the same as Patrick Kane in New York, Detroit or even Buffalo.<\/p>\n
In returning to Chicago and the Blackhawks, Kane understood that awaiting him would be a much grander reception. The fact that an in-person news conference was held for him at the Blackhawks Ice Center on Friday was partial proof of that. What he signifies to the Blackhawks and their fans will always be grander than anywhere else. There\u2019s no ignoring three Stanley Cup titles, his place among franchise leaders and 16 previous seasons with the Blackhawks. After Kane\u2019s signing was announced Thursday<\/a>, the Blackhawks witnessed a 160 percent growth in season-ticket interest (fans actively engaging with their sales team), and the organization had its largest jersey sales day since re-launching its black alternate jerseys.<\/p>\n That all comes with his return. Kane gets that. As he mentioned Friday, he had plenty of people sending him social media posts from Blackhawks fans before and after his announcement. He\u2019s well aware of the love being shown his way.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously the story is great, coming back to Chicago and being a Blackhawk again,\u201d Kane said on Friday.<\/p>\n But what Kane also asserted Friday was his return to the Blackhawks wasn\u2019t simply a self-serving move to put a ribbon on his career and enjoy his last few seasons in the city that celebrates him like nowhere else. His decision to sign with the Blackhawks over the Sabres and an assortment of other teams was about hoping to continue to play at a high level and help the Blackhawks take the next step in their rebuild.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was about coming to a team where I think I can fit in well, a team that\u2019s on the rise, a team that\u2019s looking to make some big steps forward and trying to make the playoffs,\u201d Kane said.<\/p>\n The Blackhawks are in a much different place in their rebuild than when Kane left. There isn\u2019t a single player still on the team that Kane played with in his final Blackhawks game on Feb. 22, 2023. All 19 other Blackhawks players in the lineup, plus two scratches, are gone. They\u2019ve been largely replaced by players who were prospects when Kane was still there or players who were soon to be drafted by the Blackhawks. Their projected roster for the 2026-27 season includes 15 players who will be 25 years old or younger. Eighteen years will separate 37-year-old Kane from 19-year-old Anton Frondell, a Blackhawks\u2019 2025 first-round pick.<\/p>\n Having many of those young players already break into the NHL and some already having success, most notably Connor Bedard, is also why Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson decided now was the time to try to bring Kane back. Kane would have probably stuck around the last three seasons if Davidson had wanted him to, or at least longer than he had. Davidson made it clear, though, the Blackhawks were moving on from Kane and Jonathan Toews. The organization was building something from the ground up, and their departures were part of that fresh start. Davidson has been asked plenty in recent years about the prospect of Kane returning, and he always dismissed it. He didn\u2019t want to give fans false hopes. Both parties had moved on.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if I ever thought it was possible, to be honest with you,\u201d Kane said.<\/p>\n Davidson began to look at that differently as this offseason approached. As Davidson thought about how to build on last season and start progressing toward being a playoff team while still leaning on those young players, Kane\u2019s name came up. He was still productive. He has always interacted positively with young players. His low-key personality wouldn\u2019t disrupt how those young players were taking ownership of the Blackhawks\u2019 room. Bringing Kane back now made a lot more sense for Davidson than it had in years past.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Patrick departed a couple years ago, we were in a totally different spot as a franchise,\u201d Davidson said on Friday. \u201cWe were much more at the outset of this whole project; now that we\u2019ve got some of these draft picks that have entered and established themselves in the NHL, obviously (they) continue to grow in the NHL. But I felt from an organizational standpoint and roster standpoint that the time was right with what he provides. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd (I want) to be very clear that we\u2019re bringing him in to contribute to the hockey team here. The nostalgia and the return is a very nice aspect of it, but it\u2019s not the core reason. We\u2019re bringing him in to make our team better, which we firmly believe he does do. We\u2019re ready to continue to take steps and believe he\u2019s an important piece to help that.\u201d<\/p>\n How important and where he ultimately plays is yet to be seen. Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill is undoubtedly piecing together line combinations<\/a> in his head. Bedard\u2019s shoulder surgery and expected return timetable eliminate a Kane-Bedard combo from the start. Whether it\u2019s five-on-five or power play, Bedard and Kane will share the ice at some point.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s such a special player,\u201d Kane said of Bedard. \u201cThis will be my 20th year in the league, and I\u2019ll probably see passes I\u2019ve never seen before playing with him. That speaks to how great of a player he is.\u201d<\/p>\n Kane mentioned Friday he had been skating with Frank Nazar in the summer and wondered if Nazar might be a future linemate. Kane described him as a great player, too.<\/p>\n