Kane played 16 seasons with the Blackhawks and is second on their all-times points list. Now with Detroit, the 35-year-old sure-fire Hall-of-Famer had to share the limelight with a current Hall-of-Famer, Chris Chelios, whose jersey is being retired.
Patrick Kane's first return to Chicago should have been the standalone headline Sunday at the United Center when the Blackhawks hosted the Detroit Red Wings.
But Chris Chelios, always the snarly defenseman, tried to muscle him off the puck.
Kane, who played his first 16 NHL seasons with the Blackhawks, was back in town with another team for the first time since being dealt just before the trade deadline last February to the New York Rangers. Kane signed with the Red Wings in November as a free agent following successful hip resurfacing surgery.
The 35-year-old forward returned to the Windy City on a tear, with four goals and six assists in seven games since recovering from a lower-body injury.
That's the kind of production fans have come to expect. Kane is second only to Stan Mikita in points on the Blackhawks all-time list with 1,225 in 1,161 contests.
Dueling Stars, Events, Attention
Kane's Chicago homecoming coincides with the Blackhawks retiring Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Chelios' No. 7 jersey in a pregame ceremony before the matchup with the Red Wings. The Blackhawks announced the Chelios event in September, before Kane joined the Wings with a one-year deal.
“When you just fly back into the city, driving back downtown, kind of see the skyline and everything like that, it hits home a little bit more,” Kane told reporters on Sunday morning. "But I'm sure it'll probably all come back to me a little bit tonight, especially with everything going on, with, you know, the Chelios jersey retirement and me being my first game back."
Kane Won Cups in Chicago, Chelios Didn't
Kane, the No. 1 NHL draft pick in 2007, helped lead the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups — in 2010, 2013 and 2015 — in the most successful run in the 98-year history of the Original Six team.
Chelios played nine of his 26 NHL seasons in Chicago, his hometown, and won two Norris Trophies there as the NHL's best defenseman.
Like Kane, Chelios hoisted the Stanley Cup three times in his career, but never with the Blackhawks. The closest he came in Chicago was a run to the Finals in 1992, when the Blackhawks were swept 4-0 in the last round by Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Ironically, Chelios won two of his Cups with Detroit after he left Chicago. Now Kane is trying to lead the Red Wings back to the playoffs along with old Blackhawks buddy Alex DeBrincat.
Kane, a.k.a "Showtime" because of one his most flamboyant goal-scoring cellies, expected an emotional response from a sellout crowd. Long lines had formed outside the Untied Center hours before the 5 p.m. puck-drop.
"I don't know if I'm nervous," Kane said. "I'm just more looking forward to everything and excited about the whole night in general. I keep thinking I'm not going to have too much emotion but I guess you never know how those things go down. Just kind of looking forward to see how everything unfolds.
"I appreciate the fans and all the people in the city as much as you possibly can," he added. "The support they gave me from the day I came in, just cheering me on, not only through good times but some tough times as well. They always seemed to be supporting me, which I definitely appreciated."
Kane: Bedard "Worth Price of Admission."
The arrival of Connor Bedard, the No. 1 draft pick of 2023, has book-ended Kane's departure from Chicago. The two forwards are the only top draft picks in Blackhawks history.
Bedard entered Sunday as the NHL's leading rookie scorer, with 17 goals and 39 points in 44 games. The 18-year-old missed 14 contests with a broken jaw.
Kane has been impressed with what he's seen from Bedard, even if it's been on TV
"He's been special, I'm sure you guys see covering him every night," Kane said. He's worth the price of admission. He does special things. He's going to be a great player for a long time."