Connor Bedard just got his wishes fulfilled. The Chicago Blackhawks are getting their legend back. Tell the world! Patrick Kane is back in Illinois after three years with the Detroit Red Wings.
Kane re-joins Blackhawks after Red Wings departure
Patrick Kane is returning to the Blackhawks on a two-year deal with an $8 million AAV (average annual value), per the NHL. This comes after he became an unrestricted free agent when his one-year contract with the Red Wings expired.
SHOWTIME IS BACK IN CHICAGO!! 🎬
Patrick Kane has signed a two-year contract with the @NHLBlackhawks! pic.twitter.com/wAQADRzlya
— NHL (@NHL) July 23, 2026
The 19-year veteran was deciding between the Buffalo Sabres and the Blackhawks. He eventually went back to the city that loved him for 16 years before being let go as they headed into a rebuild.
Since moving away from the Blackhawks, Kane has struggled quite a bit in getting his production up. He was traded from the Blackhawks to the New York Rangers, where his stint only lasted 19 games. He then signed with the Red Wings during 2023 NHL free agency. Throughout 189 games, Kane’s totals in the last three years have amounted to 57 goals and 106 assists for a whopping 163 points on 914 total shots attempted.
These numbers will likely get hit with a tinge of efficiency with this new iteration of the Blackhawks. Kane will get a lot of offensive pressure off his shoulders due to Connor Bedard playing alongside him. In fact, it could have been Bedard’s plea that tipped the scales in the Blackhawks’ favor in this free agency decision. The young star made a public plea to Showtime just days before this decision was announced.
“I don’t know what I can say to persuade his decision, but obviously we’d all be so excited to have a player like that, but also a guy like that. I can’t imagine his first game back at the United Center, the reaction he’d get and how much juice that would bring to not only our team but our fans, as well. That would be incredible to play with him and learn from him. Hopefully (Kane) decides to come back. You talk about the legacy aspect of it, but just as a team, he would make us a way better team. He’s still an amazing player. I don’t know if this is the best pitch, but hopefully he comes back, and we can play together, for sure,” Bedard said, via Tracey Meyers of NHL.com.
This move means a lot for Blackhawks fans. Kane was the reason why Chicago got to celebrate winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015. It also gives Bedard a mentor after the young gun just signed an anxiety-inducing $75 million deal that spans five years.
Tell your friends and everyone in Illinois: Showtime is back at the United Center on October 6 against the St. Louis Blues. The Bedard Express will also be raging alongside him.
Cup run? Likely.