Patrick Kane

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Lore & Background

Kane established himself as one of the most productive and decorated players of his era. He won the 2008 Calder Memorial Trophy for NHL's rookie of the year and played a crucial role in the Blackhawks' three championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015. Kane's notable achievements include winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs in 2013, and later becoming the first American-born player to secure the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player and the Art Ross Trophy as the scoring champion in the 2015–16 NHL season. Kane led all NHL players in scoring during the 2010s and was later named as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players. He is considered one of the best American players of all time. Kane became the youngest American player to reach 1,000 career regular season points in 2020, and holds the record for the most career points by an American-born player.

In Their Own Story

The path to the 2009 playoffs was marked by resilience. After eliminating the Calgary Flames in the opening round, Kane scored his first career hat-trick on May 11, 2009, in Game six against the Vancouver Canucks. Following the goal, he told the Chicago Sun-Times he was 'fired up' after Canucks defenseman Willie Mitchell claimed Kane 'couldn't play five-on-five.' The Blackhawks won that game 7–5 to clinch a Western Conference Finals berth for the first time since 1995, though they were eventually eliminated by the Detroit Red Wings. In the 2010–11 season, Kane reached another milestone on March 14, scoring his 100th NHL goal against Antero Niittymäki of the San Jose Sharks, becoming the third youngest player in history to hit the mark. His determination was tested by a high-ankle sprain suffered on December 5, 2010, which sidelined him for nine games after a hit by Cory Sarich.

Reader's Guide

Kane was born to Donna and Patrick "Tiki" Kane in Buffalo, New York. He developed an early interest in hockey. His father was a season ticket holder for the Buffalo Sabres, and frequently took his family to games. Kane was inadvertently featured in the background of Sylvain Turgeon's 1994–95 Pinnacle trading card while attending a Sabres' game as a child with his father. Kane's favorite players while growing up were Pat Lafontaine and Joe Sakic. In addition to hockey, he played baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and basketball in grade and middle school. Kane began playing hockey when he was seven years old. His father allowed Kane to practice stick-handling and shooting in their house's basement, going as far as to set up a miniature rink that featured nets and boards. Kane attended a training camp hosted by Darryl Belfry, and credits Belfry for helping develop his vision and play-making abilities. Kane played for the Buffalo Saints 14U AAA hockey club. Donnie Harkins, the head coach of the Honeybaked 16U AAA hockey club, personally recruited Kane to join his team in Michigan after watching him play in a tournament. At the age of 14, Kane relocated to Detroit, Michigan, to play for Honeybaked during the 2003–04 season. He resided with former NHL player Pat Verbeek while living in Detroit, whom Kane regards as a mentor and one of his primary reasons for relocating. Honeybaked posted a 66–3–1 record that season, with Kane tallying 83 goals and 77 assists. His success caught the attention of the London Knights, who drafted him in the fifth round, 88th overall, of the 2004 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Midget Draft. Kane did not join the team and instead played for the United States National Team Development Program (NTDP), which was based in Michigan. The US NTDP was initially hesitant to recruit Kane based on his short stature, describing him in a scouting report as, "a little meek—and still has the body of a 12-year-old". Kane spent the next two years playing for the US NTDP, where he was given the chance to train and play a bigger role on a more frequent basis. He reflected on the US NTDP by commenting, "The program really focuses on improving your body, you get a lot of practice time and you really learn how to play the game and how to treat yourself." He led the team in scoring with 102 points during the 2005–06 season, surpassing the previous record holder, Phil

Did You Know?

• Kane was born in Buffalo, New York, not Detroit.
• Kane's first NHL goal was against goaltender José Théodore of the Colorado Avalanche.
• Kane is the youngest player in NHL history to score a Stanley Cup-winning goal in overtime; the previous record holder is not specified in the source.
• Kane played for the Chicago Blackhawks from his debut on October 4, 2007, until February 2023, when he was traded to the New York Rangers.