Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks dominated the NHL from 2010-2015 winning 3 Stanley Cups in 5 years. Patrick Kane, alongside Sidney Crosby, is the reason many people started watching hockey. You could ask many young hockey fans or players who their inspiration is and Patrick Kane would be an answer for many. Patrick Kane is one of the best and most well-known hockey players from the 2010s, and this is his story.
Patrick Kane was drafted first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks on June 22, 2007. Kane ended his rookie season with 72 points and took home the Calder. In the 2008-09 season, Kane once again had an overall good season ending with 70 points. The next season Kane went off finishing with 88 points and kicked off the Blackhawks dynasty by scoring the game-winning goal in OT against the Flyers to bring the Stanley Cup back to Chicago for the first time since 1961. In the 2010-11 season, Kane had another solid year with 73 points but sadly lost the first 3 games in the first round of the playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks, and even though they came back and forced a game seven, the Canucks scored a goal in OT to eliminate the Blackhawks from the playoffs. The season after that Kane ended with 66 points, and once again got eliminated from the playoffs in the first round.
Many people started doubting Kane and the Hawks’s ability to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals. Kane and Hawks silenced the doubters in the 2012-2013 season by winning the Stanley Cup for the second time, and Kane was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy. The next season Kane ended with 69 points and made it to the Western Conference Finals where they sadly lost to the Kings in 7 games. The next year Kane had a total of 23 points in the playoffs and the Blackhawks lifted the Stanley Cup for the third time by beating the Lighting in 6. In 2016 Kane went off and finished the season with 106 points and was awarded the Hart Trophy.
The Blackhawks and Kane had a few more good years, especially during the 2018-19 season where Kane ended up with 110 points, but sadly they didn’t make the playoffs that year. Everything went downhill after the 2020 season as that was the last time the Blackhawks made the playoffs. Kane still put up crazy stats but a single player can’t do it all so the Blackhawks kept missing the playoffs. The Blackhawks decided to start a rebuild which meant it was the end of the road for Patrick Kane at Chicago. Kane asked to be traded to the New York Rangers and on Feb 28th, 2023, he was traded to the Rangers.
Kane only played 19 games with the Rangers where he had 12 points. Currently, Kane is with the Detroit Red Wings and has 23 points in 24 games. On Sunday, February 25th, the Red Wings will play the Blackhawks. Kane’s first game back in Chicago will be emotional not just for Kane, but for all Blackhawks fans. Even though Kane is on a different team Chicago will never forget what he did for them, and kids like me will never forget Kane for getting them into the beautiful sport that is Hockey. Kane will forever be known as a hero for all Chicago fans, for ending the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup drought.
