Patrick Kane’s Blackhawks return isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about winning

CHICAGO — Patrick Kane in Chicago isn’t the same as Patrick Kane in New York, Detroit or even Buffalo.

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’s no ignoring three Stanley Cup titles, his place among franchise leaders and 16 previous seasons with the Blackhawks. After Kane’s signing was announced Thursday, 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.

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’s well aware of the love being shown his way.

“Obviously the story is great, coming back to Chicago and being a Blackhawk again,” Kane said on Friday.

But what Kane also asserted Friday was his return to the Blackhawks wasn’t 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.

“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 playoffs,” Kane said.

The Blackhawks are in a much different place in their rebuild than when Kane left. There isn’t 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’ve 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’ 2025 first-round pick.

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’t want to give fans false hopes. Both parties had moved on.

“I don’t know if I ever thought it was possible, to be honest with you,” Kane said.

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’s name came up. He was still productive. He has always interacted positively with young players. His low-key personality wouldn’t disrupt how those young players were taking ownership of the Blackhawks’ room. Bringing Kane back now made a lot more sense for Davidson than it had in years past.

“When Patrick departed a couple years ago, we were in a totally different spot as a franchise,” Davidson said on Friday. “We were much more at the outset of this whole project; now that we’ve 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.

“And (I want) to be very clear that we’re bringing him in to contribute to the hockey team here. The nostalgia and the return is a very nice aspect of it, but it’s not the core reason. We’re bringing him in to make our team better, which we firmly believe he does do. We’re ready to continue to take steps and believe he’s an important piece to help that.”

How important and where he ultimately plays is yet to be seen. Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill is undoubtedly piecing together line combinations in his head. Bedard’s shoulder surgery and expected return timetable eliminate a Kane-Bedard combo from the start. Whether it’s five-on-five or power play, Bedard and Kane will share the ice at some point.

“He’s such a special player,” Kane said of Bedard. “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.”

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.

From the compliments Bedard threw Kane’s way as Kane was still deciding on where to sign to the general praise Kane usually receives from most hockey players, there’s no doubt Kane’s presence will be regarded in the Blackhawks locker room. He is who he is. That’s not going unnoticed. But what Kane hopes for within the room and especially on the ice is that he blends in his own way as a veteran. He doesn’t see returning to the Blackhawks as him coming to take over his team again.

“I hope that’s not the case where I’m coming in and they’re looking at me differently than they would any of their other teammates,” Kane said. “I know there’s probably going to be certain circumstances where that happens. I’m not saying I want to be just another guy on the team; I want to be a big leader and help the team take the next steps. But I want them to view me as their teammate, as they would anyone else. That’s going to be important for me early on, to develop those relationships with the young guys. I saw something where Frondell is closer to my son in age than he is to me. That’s going to be a little bit different, but at the same time, I think it’s great. I love playing with young guys. It help keeps me fresh.”

The Kane nostalgia aspect will be the dominant storyline for some time. The league has to be giddy about having Kane’s first game back with the Blackhawks on national television. His first game back in the United Center will be a hot ticket. His first game with Bedard could be even hotter. Eventually, though, the focus will solely be on hockey again, how Kane is playing and whether the Blackhawks are on the trajectory of the playoffs.

Kane wants to get that.

“All that other stuff, all that is great, but that’s not why I’m here,” Kane said. “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.”