As Patrick Kane joins the Red Wings, he keeps an eye on the Blackhawks

DETROIT — Patrick Kane stepped off the ice at the Detroit Red Wings’ practice rink Thursday to a group of kids waiting to meet him.

The same kids had watched the Chicago Blackhawks practice just before Kane took the ice, and one of them was wearing a Blackhawks No. 98 Connor Bedard jersey. When Kane was asked to take a picture with the group, he joked that the nine would have to be changed to an eight to match his 88 jersey number.

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Kane, like everyone watching the NHL this season, has tuned in to see Bedard play. Kane was flipping around a lot between games the last few months as he was eyeing what teams might make sense for him before choosing the Red Wings earlier this week, but he caught enough of Bedard and the buzz around him with the Blackhawks.

“You know what, it’s great for Chicago, it’s great for the league to have a player of his caliber in that market,” Kane said on Thursday. “Obviously happy for the organization and for Connor, too, to go to a city like that. It’s a great place to play. He’s already doing well. I’m sure he’ll be even better as time goes on, so hopefully they can build something up there.”

Kane has talked with Bedard a few times since he was drafted by the Blackhawks.

“I think he’s very respectful,” Kane said. “You could tell he was raised the right way. He’s still very young too, right? He’s a young 18-year-old, so I’m sure he’ll figure out ways to be better and better on the ice. It seems like he’s already got a good head on his shoulders. From afar, it seems like he’s already a pro, right? Whether it’s, you see him staying on the ice after practice, the way he takes care of himself, things like that. It’ll all go well with him.”

Even with Kane leaving the Blackhawks last season and going to the New York Rangers in a trade, he thought there might be a chance his phone would ring again from the Blackhawks this season. He wasn’t sitting and waiting for it, but he hadn’t ruled out the possibility that he, and maybe even Jonathan Toews, would return to Chicago.

“Yeah, I mean, I never really knew, right?” Kane said. “Especially after that first pick, I was like, ‘OK, maybe they’ll try to bring, even like Tazer or myself back.’

“I know when I was a young guy, it really helped having some older guys around like Robert Lang, (Martin) Havlat, Yanick Perrault and Patrick Lalime, guys like that. Obviously, we had some young guys coming up that were pretty special players, and that made it pretty easy on me, too. It seemed like they wanted to go in a direction where they were going to bring in some different type of veterans. Yeah, it’s what it is. Good for them. You don’t think about it too much.”

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Kane wasn’t bothered by that. He and the Blackhawks have a long history together. He didn’t rule out a future reunion, either.

“I was there for a long time,” he said. “I was there for 16 years or so. We had a good run when I was there. I think there’s always a piece in the back of your mind that maybe it could potentially happen or even down the line or in the future, you never know, but yeah, I love the city, loved my time there with the organization. Obviously we had a lot of success, so if it’s time to move on, then it is what it is. I’m happy to be here.”

Kane will now have played for two teams since departing the Blackhawks. He’s not sure what will happen, but would like to avoid bouncing around from team to team in the final stage of his career.

“I hope not,” the 35-year-old Kane said. “I hope it’s not like six, seven teams, to be honest with you. I’d rather keep it as low as possible. You have a 3-year-old son, it’s like it’s tough to move around all the time. I think the situation here (in Detroit), what they’re building, kind of where I fit into the team made a lot of sense for me. I could have maybe went to a team that was higher up in the standings, but this made the most sense for me and getting my game back. That’s what I’m trying to do to now. Obviously try to help the team win, but to do that is being the best version of myself, have that lateral movement, be able to be dynamic out there, make plays, have fun doing it, be competitive, play with a chip on the shoulder and get it done.”

Kane has kept in touch with Toews, who announced before the season he was going to sit out this season. Kane hoped Toews would be able to play again.

“Yeah, we text a lot,” Kane said. “I know he’s missing the game, as well. First and foremost is taking care of himself, so that’s where he’s at. For what I’ve seen, it seems his intention is to take the year off and then go from there. It sounds like he’s doing better, so hopefully he’ll be able to come back.”

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Kane will return to the United Center when the Blackhawks host the Red Wings on Feb. 25, the night when the Blackhawks will retire Chris Chelios’ number.

“It’ll be fun to go back there on February 25th,” Kane said. “Chelios’ jersey going up and first game back on the road, so it’ll be a fun night.”

What will the return will be like for Kane?

“I have no idea,” he said. “I’ve always played with a little bit of a chip on the shoulder, so hopefully I have a little bit that night and can play a good game and help the Wings win. It would be fun to score a goal or have a couple points, whatever it is. Just to play well against them.”

(Photo: Scott Powers / The Athletic)

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