Patrick Kane has rejoined Chicago, agreeing to a two-year contract worth $16 million US with his first NHL team.
Chicago announced the deal, which includes a full no-movement clause, on Thursday.
Kane, 37, became one of the league’s most dynamic players while spending his first 15-plus seasons in Chicago, helping the team win three Stanley Cup championships. He ranks among the franchise’s career leaders with 446 goals, 779 assists and 1,225 regular-season points.
“Day in and day out for 16 seasons, Patrick captivated the city of Chicago with his dazzling skill, creating some of the most memorable moments in Blackhawks history as he helped bring our storied franchise back to the pinnacle of our sport,” general manager Kyle Davidson said in a news release. “He’s shown on countless occasions that he knows what it takes to win at the highest levels.”
The addition of Kane adds another offensive presence to a lineup that will begin the season without Connor Bedard, who had surgery on his left shoulder on July 8. Kane is expected to play with Bedard when the 21-year-old centre returns to the ice.
The rebuilding club went 29-39-14 last season, an 11-point improvement on the previous season. The team has finished No. 31 in the NHL each of the past three years.
Chicago is looking for its first post-season appearance since the NHL used an expanded playoff format after the 2020 season was affected by the pandemic.
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Kane isn’t same player he was during his first stint with Chicago. But he had 16 goals and 57 points in 67 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season. He has recorded at least 50 points in 18 of his 19 seasons.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft passed Mike Modano in January for the most NHL points by a player born in the United States. He has 508 career goals, fourth on the U.S. list, and 1,400 points in 1,369 regular-season games.
Kane was one of Chicago’s biggest stars during the best stretch in franchise history, winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015. The team also made it to the Western Conference final in 2014, losing to the Los Angeles Kings in an epic seven-game series.
Kane, who won the 2016 Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, was traded to the New York Rangers in February 2023. Chicago then won the draft lottery and took Bedard with the No. 1 overall pick that same year. As reports swirled about the possibility of Kane returning to Chicago, Bedard openly embraced the idea.
“I can’t imagine his first game back at the [United Center], the reaction he’d get and how much juice that would bring to not only our team but our fans, as well,” Bedard said Monday. “That would be incredible to play with him and learn from him. Hopefully he decides to come back.”
