Patrick Kane’s Legacy with the Chicago Blackhawks

When all is said and done, Patrick Kane will be regarded as one of, if not the best Chicago Blackhawks players of all-time. Kane will have his jersey raised to the rafters and he’ll have a statue in front of the United Center. Even at his age of 32, he continues to show he is still in his prime, by posting remarkable stat-lines. Kane’s legacy is still growing.

Back in 2007, when Kane was drafted, it was a gloomy time for the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks were at the bottom of the standings every season. The team had not won a Stanley Cup in a long time, and it was Kane’s draft that turned the corner on the franchise.

In the 2007-2008 season, Kane and another promising rookie and current Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews would enter the league together in an attempt to turn this franchise around.

During Kane’s first season, the Blackhawks showed some improvement but there was still a lot of work to be done. It wasn’t until the 2008-2009 season when Kane and the Blackhawks really emerged as a group. Joel Quenneville replaced Denis Savard early in the season and Brian Campbell and Andrew Ladd were acquired to help mold this group together.

Patrick Kane’s nickname of “showtime” is fitting because he has always shown up in the biggest stages. In the 2009 playoffs versus the Vancouver Canucks, Kane is remembered for the hat trick he had against Roberto Luongo in game 6 to cement the Blackhawks to the conference finals, versus the Detroit Red Wings. Although the Blackhawks would go on to lose, this was just the start of something special, with this young Blackhawks squad.

Patrick Kane’s legacy has reached new heights year after year with the Chicago Blackhawks.

More from Blackhawk Up

During the 2009-2010 season, this was when Blackhawks fans really saw this team’s potential. After signing Marian Hossa and having a dominating regular season, the Blackhawks would use their immense skill to their advantage as they were already headed to the Stanley Cup Finals, early in Patrick Kane’s career. Of course, Kane once again showed up when the ‘Hawks needed him the most, and ended the series on an overtime winning goal versus the Philadelphia Flyers, to win the 2010 Stanley Cup for the Blackhawks, their first in 49 years.

During the Blackhawks prime, between 2013-2015, Kane had some very memorable goals, like the heart breaker goal which was the overtime goal versus the Los Angeles Kings in 2013 to propel the Blackhawks to the 2013 Cup Finals, and the goal he had in game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, to seal the win the Blackhawks, where they’d go on to win their 3rd Stanley Cup in six seasons.

Currently, Kane has been producing points on another level. While the Blackhawks haven’t had too much success recently, Kane is a bright spot for the Blackhawks and one of the reasons for their success against the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs and this season. Kane has also taken on a leadership role as now he dawns the “A” on his jersey, while he is able to be a mentor for some of the younger Blackhawks players.

While Kane still can build on his already illustrious legacy with the Blackhawks, as he could play hockey for another 10 years, given he and his body could handle it, his playoff heroics during the Blackhawks’ “golden age” from 2010-2015 will cement most of his legacy. He helped turn a sinking franchise into one of the more successful and sought-after franchises in hockey. I’m intrigued to see what else Patrick Kane is able to accomplish before he decides to hang up his skates.

Patrick Kane’s legacy has reached new heights year after year with the Chicago Blackhawks.

More from Blackhawk Up

Schedule