Patrick Kane Signs With Blackhawks, Returning to Chicago After 3 Seasons Away

Patrick Kane is a Chicago Blackhawk again.

The team announced Thursday that Kane signed a two-year contract with an $8 million salary-cap hit, running through the 2027-28 season. The move brings the 37-year-old winger back to the franchise that drafted him first overall in 2007 and where he played before the Blackhawks traded him away in 2023 as the team began tearing down its roster.

Kane spent 16 seasons in Chicago, debuting alongside fellow rookie Jonathan Toews and helping lead the Blackhawks to Stanley Cup titles in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He recorded 446 goals and 779 assists in a Blackhawks uniform, for 1,225 points, second in franchise history behind Stan Mikita's 1,467. He won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2008, the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2013, and the Hart and Art Ross trophies in 2016 as the league's MVP and top scorer.

The Blackhawks traded Kane to the New York Rangers during the 2022-23 season as the front office committed to rebuilding around younger players. He signed with the Detroit Red Wings that summer and played three seasons there, recording 57 points in 67 games last season.

News of the signing broke Thursday morning, and Blackhawks fans reacted on social media and in interviews around the United Center. Many pointed to the timing: Kane returns to a team now built around Connor Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 who won NHL Rookie of the Year the following season. Fans have spent two years talking about what Kane's playmaking could do paired with Bedard's shot, and Thursday's announcement made that a possibility for the coming season.

"Just nostalgia, it takes us back to when we had the dynasty, winning Stanley Cups, seeing showtime celebrations," said Adam Story, a season-ticket holder. "The crowd going electric and all that is coming back."

Younger fans who grew up watching Kane during the championship years said the signing feels personal. Helen Lane, a young hockey player from the city, said Kane was the player she modeled her game after. "I'm really excited because I grew up watching him," Lane said. "It's nice to see him come back because he's one of the players I looked up to growing up."

Glen Kukevich, a 33-year-old season-ticket holder from North Center, said he first became a Blackhawks fan as a 14-year-old in Siberia, Russia, after watching Kane's pre-draft highlights the year Chicago picked him. Kukevich, who has followed Kane's career since, said he checked social media constantly over the past few weeks as rumors of a return circulated, and got the news Thursday morning through a Blackhawks app notification. "I'm super excited about this coming season," he said. "This signing definitely makes the upcoming season more exciting after a couple of rough years." Kukevich said he is hoping Kane and Bedard can push the Blackhawks toward a wild-card push by late March. "He's still fun to watch," he said of Kane. "I think he still has some gas in his tank for a couple more seasons."

Kane's No. 88 jersey never disappeared from the United Center concourse even after his trade, and lifelong fan Tom McMahon said he expects Kane's presence in the locker room to matter as much as his production on the ice. "He's gonna bring the history of Stanley Cup victories. He's gonna tell them what this stadium is like when the Blackhawks are doing well, the old intangibles," McMahon said. "It's gonna be a very positive effect. I'm very excited. I just have to talk my wife into it."

Ticket demand is already responding. Fans said they are asking for additional seats to bring family and friends to games this fall, and prices for lower-tier seats were already climbing toward $200 on third-party resale sites Thursday afternoon.

Kane's on-ice return to Chicago is set for Oct. 6, when the Blackhawks host the St. Louis Blues at the United Center. It follows a season-opening road trip that includes a Sept. 29 game against the Golden Knights in Las Vegas.