CHICAGO — Patrick Kane is back in a Blackhawks sweater with a different job description. The 37-year-old winger, who turns 38 in November, has returned to the club as an alternate captain and a living link to Chicago’s last championship era.
Kane signed a two-year, $16 million deal on July 23, carrying an $8 million annual cap hit. His 20th NHL season will also be his second run with Chicago, where he helped deliver Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
Quick facts
- Kane was named an alternate captain Tuesday; Connor Bedard was named captain the same day.
- Chicago opens the season at the Vegas Golden Knights on Sept. 29.
- Bedard is expected to return in November after July shoulder surgery.
- Kane opened camp skating with Frank Nazar at center and Roman Kantserov on the left side.
- Kane enters the season with 1,400 NHL points in 1,369 regular-season games.
The Blackhawks are leaning into Kane’s history while asking him to help shape their next wave. Bedard, 21, joins fellow young forwards Kantserov, 21, Nazar, 22, and 19-year-old Anton Frondell in a group that also includes defensemen Artyom Levshunov, 20, and Sam Rinzel, 22.
“Everything we want to become as a team, we have seen him do,” Bedard said. “He remains one of the League’s top players. Getting to know him and learn from him has been a lot of fun.”
Nazar sees the standard Kane brings into the room as much as the points. He said Kane’s resume commands attention, adding that players will hold themselves accountable if the veteran is dissatisfied with the club’s play.
Kane’s numbers explain that pull. Across Chicago, the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings, he has produced 508 goals and 892 assists. His postseason ledger stands at 53 goals and 85 assists in 143 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
His first Blackhawks tenure, from 2007 through 2023, left him near the top of nearly every major franchise category. Kane is third in goals with 446, trailing Bobby Hull’s 604 and Stan Mikita’s 541; he is second to Mikita in assists, 779 to 926, and points, 1,225 to 1,467.
He is also third in games played for Chicago with 1,161, behind Mikita’s 1,396 and Duncan Keith’s 1,192. Kane added more milestones last season, scoring NHL goal No. 500 on Jan. 8, passing Mike Modano for the most points by a U.S.-born player on Jan. 29 with point No. 1,375, and hitting 1,400 on April 13.
Named among the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players during the League’s 2017 centennial celebration, Kane has long made time for young teammates after practice. That approach has carried into camp with this version of the Blackhawks.
“The guys are starting to feel comfortable enough to joke with me, and that’s what I want,” Kane said. “I want to be in the group, not placed above it. My job is to help this team win and take another step.”
Frondell said the opportunity to watch Kane daily is unusually valuable for a young roster. Kane knows what winning in Chicago looks like, he said, and can pass along details that are hard to find elsewhere.
Thursday’s opening camp skate put Kane alongside Nazar and Kantserov, who is expected to make his NHL debut this season. That alignment could be used early, though the combinations may shift when Bedard returns from surgery.
Bedard, the first pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, injured his left shoulder while training during the offseason. His target return is November, leaving Chicago to sort out its early-season attack without its new captain.
Kane believes the skill around him can climb another level as players learn offensive reads, matchup attacks and situational details. He is also adjusting to the club’s systems, power-play plan and overall approach during a condensed training camp.
“I can help these players,” Kane said. “There is so much ability in the group, and there is another level available in the way they handle situations and create offense. At the same time, I’m learning how this team wants to play. We have a lot to cover quickly, but I’m excited about it.”
The first test comes Sept. 29 in Las Vegas. For Kane, the return is not about replaying the old Chicago years; it is about helping a young room build a new one.
