- Patrick Kane got a standing ovation in his first United Center game back with the Blackhawks
- Chicago beat the Blues 4-2 for its first win of the season
- Read below for Kane’s postgame comments and video of the ovation
Patrick Kane called his United Center homecoming “surreal.”
The Blackhawks rolled a video tribute before Tuesday’s home opener against the St. Louis Blues, then sent the 37-year-old out through a lit-up No. 88 while a sellout crowd of 20,270 lost its mind. Chicago went on to win 4-2, and Kane was asked afterward what the introduction felt like.
“It was special,” Kane said. “Obviously a lot of buildup to the night. Coming out for warmups, hearing the cheer, and then getting ready to go out for the introduction was definitely a little emotional. You’re skating off the ice and it’s surreal, because you didn’t know if you’d have that chance to do it again, so it’s pretty special.”
Watch the ovation video from United Center:
That was his first game in a Blackhawks sweater on home ice since Feb. 21, 2023, one week before Chicago shipped him to the Rangers. He signed a two-year, $16 million deal to come home this summer.
Jonathan Toews and Niklas Hjalmarsson were in the building after visiting Kane at the morning skate. Toews popped up on the video board in the first period holding a No. 88 jersey and got an ovation just as loud as Kane’s.
Kane talked about seeing his old captain again.
“It’s crazy how fast it goes by, right? Just thinking about being at rookie camp together and being roommates and hanging out and developing something here was so special,” he said. “Now, I’m pretty much the last guy standing from that team, right?”
Getting the win mattered at home, too. Chicago opened 0-3 on the road, and Kane was asked about finally getting one. He said his 5-year-old son, Patrick III, took the losing streak harder than anyone.
“He was really stressed out the past few days with us being 0-3,” Kane said with a laugh. “He’s checking the standings and looking at everything already. He’ll be happy we got a win tonight.”
Showtime didn’t make the scoresheet. He had two shots and logged 20:55, third on the team behind Alex Vlasic and Bowen Byram.
Chicago’s kids handled the offense instead. Sam Rinzel, Anton Frondell and Frank Nazar all scored, and Frondell finished a slick setup from Artyom Levshunov. Check out the goal:
He liked what he saw from the young core.
“These guys are going to grow up together, play together, develop chemistry on and off the ice, and I think it’s really going to be a special group down the road,” Kane said.
There was one sour note. Teuvo Teravainen left in the second period with an apparent lower-body injury, and coach Jeff Blashill said he won’t travel for Thursday’s game against the Islanders:
His first goal back in red came in the season opener in Vegas. A first point on United Center ice in this second stint will have to wait until the Blackhawks get back from Long Island.
