The distraction of the Corey Perry release is now likely behind the Blackhawks after Perry issued an apology (see below) on Thursday. Chicago skates on to Detroit and will try to win back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Patrick Kane was on the ice late, stickhandling and shooting just like 18-year-old Connor Bedard likes to do following a game-day skate.
The scene, however, was in Detroit. The 35-year-old Kane was wearing a Red Wings practice jersey after signing a one-year contract with the team on Tuesday.
The former Chicago star saw young fans wearing No. 98 Bedard Blackhawks jerseys as he walked off the ice. Kane kidded with them they should switch to No. 88, his number.
Kane played for 16 seasons with the Blackhawks after they made him the NHL's first overall selection in the 2007 NHL draft. Chicago didn't get another top pick — and only their second in franchise history — until 2023 when they took Bedard last June.
Kane, second in points (1,225) in Blackhawks history only to Stan Mikita, won't be ready to skate on Thursday night against his former team. He'll need about another week to prepare as he tries to rebound from hip resurfacing surgery.
Blackhawks Ready to Move On Too
The Blackhawks seem ready to move on following the abrupt release of veteran Corey Perry on Tuesday for violating team policies. Initially little else was confirmed about what led to the termination of the 38-year-old forward, other than what GM Kyle Davidson termed an "internal personnel matter" in a press conference before Tuesday's 4-3 win over Seattle.
The team said Perry was involved in an incident an with employees. That led to Perry being scratched in a game at Columbus on Nov. 22 and then being placed on waivers on Tuesday. He cleared waivers Wednesday and became a free agent.
Then Perry issued a statement on Thursday afternoon, apologizing for his actions and making reference to issues he's having with alcohol. See the statement here:
With 36-year-old Nick Foligno rallying his teammates, the Blackhawks came out with energy and held on for the victory at the United Center to cap an emotional day. They liked Perry, despite his old-school crustiness, and were stunned by his departure.
Bedard, Hawks Seek to Get Rolling
Against Detroit, 7-13-0 Chicago will try to win back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Blackhawks have lost six of eight heading into the contest.
Bedard remains the NHL's leading rookie scorer with 10 goals and 17 points in 20 games and is second to Columbus' Adam Fantilli with 58 shots on goal. Bedard also is a minus-12 overall and has just one assist in his last three games. He managed only one shot one goal and fired another wide against the Kraken on a night when veterans lifted Chicago.
Forward Anthony Beauvillier, acquired from Vancouver on Tuesday, won't join the Blackhawks on Thursday due to visa issues. The 26-year-old from Sorel-Tracy, Québec is expected to skate with the team in Winnipeg on Saturday.
See coach Luke Richardson's pregame remarks in the video.
Here are expected lineup for Thursday:
Forward Lines:
F1. Nick Foligno-Connor Bedard-Philipp Kurashev
F2. Lukas Reichel-Tyler Johnson-Taylor Raddysh
F3. MacKenzie Entwistle-Jason Dickinson-Joey Anderson
F4. Boris Katchouk-Ryan Donato-Reese Johnson
Defense Pairings:
D1. Alex Vlasic-Seth Jones
D2. Kevin Korchinski-Connor Murphy
D3. Wyatt Kaiser-Isaak Phillips
Goal:
Petr Mrazek (starter)/ Arvid Söderblom
Injured: Cole Guttman (upper-body), Andreas Athansiou (groin), Jarred Tinordi (oblique)