Future Hall of Fame forward Patrick Kane is staying put in the Motor City, having recently agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract extension for what will be his second full season with the Detroit Red Wings.
There was little doubt that Kane would continue his time with the Red Wings, as both he and GM Steve Yzerman expressed a mutual interest in getting another deal worked out following the 2024-25 campaign.
Kane has openly expressed his affinity for playing in Detroit, where he already had connections dating back to his days as a youth playing for the Detroit Honeybaked Hockey Club and staying in former Red Wings forward Pat Verbeek's home.
That being said, Kane, who was selected first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2007, still has a deep love for the Windy City.
During a recent interview with the Chicago-based 'Carmen & Jurko' podcast, Kane reflected on his early playing days in the city and how it seemed daunting for a 19-year-old.
"What a great city to come to, I was so overwhelmed from the city," Kane said. "The traffic, the people, the cars, how big the city was. The first thing I did when I came in was go to a Cubs game, I threw out the first pitch and sang in the 7th inning stretch, and I was just like, 'What am I getting myself into here?'"
"All of a sudden, you just grow to love the city and everything about it," he continued. "I spend my summers here and I consider it my home. It's great coming back, I love the city and I love it in the summer time. Obviously, I had an amazing time playing here and what we were able to accomplish with those three Cups, too."
"It's a special city and it holds a special place in my heart."
Kane acknowledged that he and his family will likely return to Chicago to live permanently whenever it is that his playing career comes to a close.
"I think so," he said. "We love coming back here, and it's got so much to offer. Obviously we come back during the offseason, but it's meant so much to me."
Kane will forever be a Windy City sports icon after he helped the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup victories.
Ironically, he scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal in 2010 against then-Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton, who recently joined the Red Wings as their new goaltending coach.
He is also the leading active American-born scorer with 1,343 career points, and needs only eight more goals to reach 500.
