- Jonathan Toews and Niklas Hjalmarsson visited Patrick Kane at the Blackhawks practice facility on home opener day
- Kane plays his first home game for Chicago since Feb. 21, 2023 when the Blues visit Tuesday night
- Read below for what Kane said about his United Center return and the 0-3 start
Patrick Kane had some familiar company on the morning of his United Center homecoming.
Jonathan Toews and Niklas Hjalmarsson showed up at Blackhawks Ice Center on Tuesday ahead of Chicago’s home opener against the St. Louis Blues. Toews greeted Kane as he came off the ice after morning skate and followed him into the dressing room.
Hjalmarsson walked in with his sons, Theo and Oliver, and the three old teammates sat down for a pregame chat. Each of them won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015, and all three broke into the league with Chicago in 2007-08.
Take a look at nine Stanley Cups’ worth of Blackhawks in one corner of the room:
Toews also spent time with Connor Bedard on the bench. The new Blackhawks captain is still working back from the left shoulder surgery he had in July and won’t play tonight.
Tonight will be Kane’s first home game in a Blackhawks sweater since Feb. 21, 2023. That’s 1,324 days. Chicago traded him to the Rangers a week later, and he spent the last three seasons in Detroit before signing a two-year, $16 million deal to come home in July.
Kane sat out both preseason games at United Center, and the team holds its morning skates at the practice facility. He was asked Monday whether he needed to get reacquainted with the building.
“I actually may go over there today and look at the locker room and the entrance to the ice and that stuff,” Kane said with a laugh. “I don’t even know where I’m sitting (in the locker room).”
He also talked about finally being on the home bench after a few trips through town with the Red Wings.
“It’ll be interesting to be playing a home game now after all this time,” Kane said. “It’s been a while, so looking forward to being on the home side at the United Center, hopefully get a win tomorrow and make everything that much sweeter.”
Chicago is 0-3-0 after road losses in Vegas, Utah and Buffalo. Kane scored in the opener against the Golden Knights, but the team has just five goals through three games. Kane was asked how much the winless start weighs on the group.
“If that’s the middle of the season and you’re 0-3, maybe you just brush it away and say, ‘That was the tough one,’ but obviously it’s the first three games of the season, so it means a little bit more,” he said.
Head coach Jeff Blashill expects an emotional night but said Kane wants more than a ceremony.
“As he has mentioned multiple times, he didn’t come back for a victory lap,” Blashill said. “He wants to win hockey games.”
Kane ranks third in Blackhawks history in goals (447) and second in assists (779) and points (1,226). Puck drop against the Blues is 7 p.m. CT.
