The Detroit Red Wings debut for Patrick Kane could take place later this week on home ice.
The atmosphere is reminiscent of the glory days as the Detroit Red Wings welcomed a distinguished future Hall of Famer to their team. The recent signing of three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Kane to a one-year deal has ignited excitement among fans, and he’ll be donning the Winged Wheel for the first time in short order. Comments made this morning indicate that he won’t be taking the ice tomorrow night against the Buffalo Sabres, as initially speculated. However, there’s a possibility of his debut on Thursday at home.
Kane chose Detroit over several potential suitors
Kane was selected as the 1st overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2007 NHL Draft. He played a pivotal role in each of Chicago’s three Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013, and 2015. He was traded last season to the New York Rangers, ending his run with Chicago. Widely regarded as one of the greatest American-born NHL players, Kane has left an indelible mark in the league’s history.
Kane is “hoping” to make his Detroit Red Wings debut on Thursday
Kane, who underwent hip surgery in the offseason, has yet to play this season so far. He’s been skating and getting himself back into game shape, and took part in his first full 5×5 practice earlier this morning.
“The body feels pretty good. I think the biggest thing is going to be getting up to game speed again,” Kane said. “It might take some games to get up to speed and just playing at this level. I don’t expect to play (Tuesday) but we’ll see what they think. I’m hoping Thursday.”
Coach Derek Lalonde believed that the practice session was beneficial for Kane in his quest to get further acclimated to his new teammates, and that they’ll have a similar practice on Wednesday following tomorrow night’s game.
“This was his first practice in a long time, so I think he needed those reps,” Lalonde said. “Those are real reps, five-on-five type reps. Probably give him a similar look on Wednesday (in practice) and go from there.”
Fortunately, a seasoned player like Kane won’t need much time to adapt to Detroit’s style of play.
“Where his experience is and his IQ, even walking him through structure right now, it’s not foreign to him and it seems to click,” Lalonde said. “He gets to see it more and be part of our process. I think it’ll be a pretty good transition structurally.”
Bottom Line: The anticipation is building
Red Wings fans vividly recall Kane’s tenure with the rival Chicago Blackhawks, his performances often leaving an impact on Detroit during their intense battles, including a couple of tightly contested postseason series.
Kane is anticipated to play a pivotal role in Detroit’s push to return to the playoffs, a feat not achieved since 2016. His potential debut later this week sparks hope that he’ll seamlessly integrate into the team, creating fresh and thrilling moments for the passionate fans of Hockeytown.
