Patrick Kane is determined to make up for lost time. After missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the three NHL seasons he spent with the Detroit Red Wings, “Showtime” is returning to the Chicago Blackhawks with a clear goal. For a player who has always saved his best for the biggest games, he can’t wait to play meaningful hockey again.
Although Kane sent the Red Wings an emotional goodbye message, he hasn’t hidden his pent-up frustration. Back in Chicago, he wants to make sure everybody is on the same page. Not many believe the Blackhawks will be a playoff team in the 2026-27 NHL season, but Kane doesn’t care.
While some believe Kane took a shot at the Red Wings when explaining his return to the Blackhawks, this latest comment wasn’t a dig at his former team so much as a reflection of how eager he is to make up for what went wrong in Detroit.
“I would love to see this team in the playoffs,” Kane didn’t stutter to confess in only his first days back on the Blackhawks, via CHSN. “I think it would be incredible to have some playoff games at the United Center again. That’s kind of where we are at. That’s probably the biggest goal.”
Patrick Kane has returned to the Blackhawks.
Kane says anything can happen in playoffs
Not many have the Blackhawks making the postseason on their bingo cards. Kane knows that. But that only adds another layer to why Chicago wants to prove fans and analysts around the NHL wrong.
It’s been a while since the Blackhawks last got a taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but if there’s someone who can convince fans in Chicago they have a chance, it’s Kane. After all, “Showtime” is synonymous with the Hawks’ dynasty, and perhaps a new one can begin as he joins Connor Bedard—who subtly asked to play alongside Kane on the top line—and the rest of the young core.
“In the playoffs, anything can happen. You’ve seen it with teams,” Kane commented. “[The Florida Panthers] were the last team in the playoffs [in 2023] they made it to the finals and then you see the run they went on. Vegas and Detroit had the same amount of points last year. Detroit misses the playoffs, and Vegas makes the Stanley Cup final. There’s so much parity in the league you just really need to find a way to get in.”
Tall order for Chicago
If Chicago makes it to the playoffs, anything can happen. The challenge is getting there, and that’s no small feat for a Blackhawks team that shares a division with the likes of the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars, among other potential contenders.
Last time Chicago made the playoffs
The Blackhawks’ last playoff appearance came in 2020. After advancing through the qualifying round, Chicago lost to the Golden Knights in five games during the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Edmonton bubble. The Hawks haven’t played a postseason game since.
If you only count full seasons with no asterisks, Chicago’s most recent playoff appearance dates back to the 2016-17 campaign. Nearly a decade has passed since the Predators swept the Blackhawks in the first round, a series widely regarded as the official end of Chicago’s dynasty.
Last time Kane played in playoffs
As for Kane, he hasn’t reached the postseason since the 2022-23 campaign, when he was with the New York Rangers and suffered a first-round elimination at the hands of the New Jersey Devils in seven games. For Kane, it’s been three seasons since his last playoff appearance—exactly the time he spent with the Red Wings.
Now back in Chicago, the memories of his glory years in the Windy City are impossible to ignore. However, Kane didn’t return to indulge in nostalgia. He wants more, and he’s making that clear from the very beginning.
