Patrick Kane can’t just be a mentor, he needs to be another one of the guys

In his return to the Chicago Blackhawks, Patrick Kane doesn't need to earn the respect and prove his experience. However, he does need to show he isn't just "Patrick Kane, the three-time Stanley Cup champion", but that he's just like everybody else. For the youth of Chicago, Kane's biggest impact may be something that can't be shown on the ice. He needs to connect with the guys on the outside and be part of the group.

What Kane initially brings to the locker room as a veteran

Stepping back into the locker room as a mentor may just come naturally for Kane. He has made history with the team. He is a franchise legend and a guy who saw the best part of two decades with the team. He played in the biggest moments in the Stanley Cup playoffs and finals. He's played through the lowest moments too. However, the biggest thing Kane will bring to the room is knowing how to play in one of the biggest markets in hockey at such a young age.

Of course, players will immediately look at Kane as one of the greatest players ever and will begin to feed off his game. However, what he needs to establish is being Patrick, the guy you can go to for advice. Not just "Patrick Kane, the Blackhawks legend". For the youth of the Chicago Blackhawks, many of them haven't yet had a guy like that to go to. Sure, players like Nick Foligno have played the mentor role. But nobody quite compares to Kane. In return, he can be the guy that players can go to learn from, as well as be a guy that the players like having around.

Especially for players such as Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Nick Lardis, it is important that Kane doesn't just become that vessel for adventure and knowledge. One of the biggest parts of being a mentor is being comfortable with the team off the ice, a trait that will teach the prospects more than they realise. For a young player trying to improve in the NHL, having someone who has experienced almost every situation imaginable is priceless.

Building off-ice relationships is key to Kane's new role

Mentorship doesn't always have to be sitting down 1-on-1 and going through formalities like it's a meeting with the general manager or coach. It can be teaching and learning during day-to-day activities. Simply just being around one another. And doing things like normal guys, not just hockey players, is something that builds relationships even further.

Kane doesn't need to prove himself. He doesn't need to prove that he is a winner. Everybody knows that. But he needs to prove that he can just be one of the guys you can talk to, like anyone else. He needs to build strong and close relationships with the players that are responsible for the next era of the Chicago Blackhawks. If Chicago's young core can see him as a teammate, not just as a legend and a mentor, his influence will extend far greater than what he will produce on the ice.

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