The Athletic’s Michael Russo wrote a massive article regarding Patrick Kane’s attempts to earn a spot on the 2026 U.S. Olympic team. Kane understands that he’s skating uphill against Team USA and GM Bill Guerin’s attempts to build a younger, faster, leaner team:
“A gold medal is all I’m missing in my career,” said the three-time Stanley Cup champion, former Calder Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy, Hart Trophy, Art Ross Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award winner and 2010 Olympic silver medalist.
Last fall, Guerin, who doubles as the Minnesota Wild GM, flew to Detroit for a scouting trip. But the real reason he went was to meet with Kane after the game to explain to him that he wouldn’t be on the 4 Nations roster. Guerin felt Kane deserved that kind of respect. In December, U.S. 4 Nations and Olympics coach Mike Sullivan also met up with Kane after a Red Wings-Pittsburgh Penguins game.
Kane wasn’t surprised that he didn’t make the team. He got off to a rough start last season, “and pretty much knew and understood they wouldn’t be taking me.”
But Kane, who had missed the first two months of the 2023-24 season after hip-resurfacing surgery, got back to past form as 2024-25 went on and finished the season on a tear, with 16 goals and 45 points in the final 42 games. He went into the offseason feeling he’d have a shot to be chosen for the upcoming Olympics.
“There are a lot of good players here obviously — a lot of guys that are deserving of making it,” Kane said. “I just want to put my best foot forward and have a really good start to the season and kind of put yourself in a position, whether you’re making it or not, to say that I gave myself a chance.
“I didn’t really do much of that last year. It was just an easy decision to kind of leave me off. So, I definitely want to get off to a good start and get rolling the right way because if I’m on the team, I want it to be for the player I am now, not because of the player I was years ago.”
Continued at length (paywall); the American international teams are kind of insular–you only make it if you’ve “done your time” at World Championships most of the time, and the team’s been more than willing to nix veterans’ spots for the sake of building experience for younger players.
I don’t expect Kane to make the team unless he absolutely rockets to the top of the NHL’s scoring leaders, but at 36, I’m rooting for the “old guy.”
