Patrick Kane

Patrick Timothy Kane II (born November 19, 1988) is an American professional ice hockey right winger for the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL. Known as "Showtime," he was the first overall pick by the Blackhawks in the 2007 draft and stayed with the team until a February 2023 trade to the New York Rangers. He later played for the Detroit Red Wings and represented the United States at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.

Kane became one of the most productive and decorated players of his generation. He won the 2008 Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie and helped the Blackhawks win three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015. In 2013 he earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, and in the 2015–16 season he became the first American-born player to win both the Hart Memorial Trophy (league MVP) and the Art Ross Trophy (scoring champion). He led all NHL players in scoring during the 2010s and was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players. In 2020 he became the youngest American to reach 1,000 career regular-season points and holds the record for most career points by an American-born player.

Kane was born in Buffalo, New York, to Donna and Patrick "Tiki" Kane. His father, a Buffalo Sabres season ticket holder, often took the family to games; as a child, Kane appeared in the background of Sylvain Turgeon's 1994–95 Pinnacle trading card while attending a Sabres game. His favorite players were Pat LaFontaine and Joe Sakic. Besides hockey, he played baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and basketball in school. He started hockey at age seven, practicing stick-handling and shooting in his basement on a miniature rink his father built. He credits a training camp run by Darryl Belfry for developing his vision and playmaking.

Kane played for the Buffalo Saints 14U AAA team before being recruited by Donnie Harkins to join the Honeybaked 16U AAA club in Michigan. At 14, he moved to Detroit for the 2003–04 season, living with former NHL player Pat Verbeek, whom he considers a mentor. Honeybaked went 66–3–1 that season, with Kane scoring 83 goals and 77 assists. The London Knights drafted him in the fifth round of the 2004 OHL Midget Draft, but he instead joined the U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP) in Michigan. The NTDP initially hesitated due to his small size, describing him as "a little meek—and still has the body of a 12-year-old." Over two years with the NTDP, he led the team in scoring with 102 points in 2005–06, breaking Phil Kessel's record.

Kane joined the London Knights for the 2006–07 OHL season, playing on a line with Sergei Kostitsyn and Sam Gagner. In 58 games he recorded 62 goals and 83 assists, and his line combined for 394 points. He added 31 points in 16 playoff games as the Knights lost in the Western Conference final. He won the Emms Family Award as OHL rookie of the year, finished runner-up for league MVP, and earned CHL Top Prospect and Top Scorer awards. His 145 points rank fifth all-time for a CHL rookie. The Knights retired his No. 88 jersey on January 17, 2020.

In the 2007 NHL draft, Kane was ranked second among North American prospects but was selected first overall by Chicago. The St. Louis Blues had offered the Blackhawks their 9th, 24th, and 26th picks for the first overall selection. On July 25, 2007, general manager Dale Tallon signed Kane to a three-year contract. Kane threw ceremonial first pitches at a Chicago Cubs game and a Buffalo Bisons game that summer. He chose No. 88 to reference his birth year, a tradition from his London Knights days. He made his NHL debut on October 4, 2007, against the Minnesota Wild, and recorded his first assist and shootout goal two days later against Dominik Hašek of the Detroit Red Wings. His first NHL goal came on October 19 against José Théodore of the Colorado Avalanche.