Patrick Kane heads back to Chicago on two-year Blackhawks deal
The Blackhawks announced a two-year, $16 million reunion with Patrick Kane, bringing the franchise great back after three seasons away.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Patrick Kane is going back to the United Center, and Chicago is getting a reunion with one of the biggest names in Blackhawks history.
The Blackhawks announced Wednesday that Kane has agreed to a two-year contract carrying an $8 million average annual value against the NHL salary cap, according to ESPN. The deal brings the 37-year-old winger back to the club that drafted him first overall in 2007 and watched him become one of the defining players of its modern era.
Kane helped Chicago win three Stanley Cups during a run in which the Blackhawks made the playoffs in nine consecutive seasons and reached the conference finals five times, ESPN reported. His first stint made him one of the Original Six franchise’s statistical giants.
He sits second in Blackhawks history with 1,225 points, behind Hall of Famer Stan Mikita, who had 1,467. Kane also ranks third in franchise goals with 446 and third in games played with 1,161, according to ESPN.
The awards shelf is just as crowded. Kane won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie for 2007-08, the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2013, and both the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award in 2015-16, when he led the league with 106 points.
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson praised Kane’s history with the club in a team statement, saying the winger “captivated the city of Chicago” for 16 seasons and helped lift the franchise “back to the pinnacle” of the sport.
“He's shown on countless occasions that he knows what it takes to win at the highest levels, and we couldn't be prouder for Patrick to once again call the United Center home and continue to shine in Chicago's brightest lights,” Davidson said.
Kane left Chicago in 2023 when the rebuilding Blackhawks traded him to the New York Rangers. He later signed three one-year contracts with the Detroit Red Wings, ESPN reported.
Last season in Detroit, Kane had 16 goals and 41 assists in 67 games before becoming an unrestricted free agent. ESPN reported that multiple reports had linked him both to a Blackhawks return and to a possible move to the Buffalo Sabres, which would have put the Buffalo native with his hometown club.
Chicago’s current centerpiece made no secret of wanting Kane back. Connor Bedard, who was drafted first overall a few months after Kane was traded, had not yet played with the longtime Blackhawks star.
Bedard said it would be “incredible” to have Kane return, pointing to the boost his first game back in Chicago could bring to the team and fans. Bedard, now 21, signed a five-year, $75 million extension last week as a restricted free agent, according to ESPN.
Kane is entering his 20th NHL season. Among active players, ESPN reported that he ranks fourth with 1,400 points and sixth with 508 goals.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.