The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton took note of the comments made by Patrick Kane and his teammates (and coach) as #88 begins year #2 as a Red Wing:
When asked about his primary motivation for returning to the Red Wings this summer as unrestricted free agent, Kane replied, “How close we were last year, just looking back on the season. There’s obviously things that you think about when you’re potentially signing a new contract, and when I was looking back, there was some great moments for me personally and for the team. The excitement around the team, the way I fit in for the team, my role and what was expected of me here, I think was something I enjoy as well.”
“The last couple years, you still feel in some respects like you’re a Blackhawk, right?” explained Kane of the road to his current state of clarity. “Even when you go to New York or last year when I was in Detroit. There’s still that sense that you’re somewhat of a Blackhawk, and for me now, the page is officially turned, so it’s nice to be here in Detroit and build on what I was able to do last year and what the team was able to do and be a Red Wing, and I definitely feel like one now.”
Kane’s impact has been felt by his teammates and Red Wing fans alike. After a stirring OT win over Colorado last February, captain Dylan Larkin said that he and his teammates had been referring to the energy at Little Caesars Arena as “the Kaner Effect.” Today, on the first day of training camp, Larkin spoke to the respect Kane commands in the dressing room, saying”Kaner…When he speaks up in our room—and to be honest with you before playing with him last year I didn’t know he was like that—but he will stand up, and he will say things, and when he talks, people listen. He’s earned that in this league and especially with our team, so to see that he wanted to come back and know that he had a full summer of training, he’s gonna get a full camp in, I’m very excited for him.”
After that lofty praise, Larkin was quick to point out that he sees no instinct from Kane toward resting on laurels; instead, per Larkin, “I know he’s motivated for more. He’s motivated to make the U.S. team, I’m sure of that. I haven’t talked to him about that, but someone like him deserves to be on that team and probably be the captain of that team, so …[I’m] expecting him to be a big impact player like he was last year.”
Derek Lalonde offered a similar picture in describing Kane’s form to open the year. “Patrick individually had a really good summer,” the Red Wings coach said. “Today’s NHL, expectations of players in the summer they come into camp pretty ready, but I think Patrick really took advantage of having a full summer. He had a lot of pop throughout practice, right through the end, which is exciting to see.”
