When the Red Wings reached out to Vladimir Tarasenko in free agency, his wife reached out to the girlfriend of Patrick Kane. Longtime rivals in the West, Tarasenko and Kane had become friends the year prior when they overlapped on the Rangers. They are both fathers. And they were both seeking stability for their families this summer after recently bouncing between teams for the first time in their decorated careers.
Kane raved about his first season playing for the Red Wings, an Original Six club that does right by its players. He and his girlfriend raved about living in Metro Detroit with their three-year-old son. It was what Tarasenko needed to hear to sign a two-year, $9.5 million with the Wings.
"We relayed the message that it was similar to New York in a way, kind of like the Greenwich, Conn. area," Kane said after returning to the Red Wings on a one-year deal. "The suburbs in Detroit are unbelievable. I lived there when I was 14, but when I came back, I didn’t realize how nice they are and what a great spot it is to live and raise a family and have a lot of options, whether it’s playing hockey or the schools at your disposal."
Tarasenko has three sons, one of whom lived with him to play youth hockey in Ottawa last season during Tarasenko's stint with the Senators. Kane first moved to Detroit to join the Triple-A club Honeybaked and said "there’s so many good organizations for youth hockey in Detroit that you really can’t go wrong ... It was a great decision for me, so hopefully his kids feel the same way and have the same success story."
"I know Detroit has some of the best youth hockey programs in the States, which is nice," said Tarasenko.
Kane also noted the comfort of playing and practicing at Little Caesars Arena, the world-class building that the Red Wings call home. These endorsements mean something coming from one of the most respected players in the NHL.
"I really like how the rink is set up with the practice rink and the game rink all in one venue. And I think the organization treats you first-class," said Kane. "There’s really a lot of good things going if you’re a free agent or a player and you want to come to the Red Wings, there’s a lot of positives."
For Tarasenko, another positive was the chance to reunite with Kane. They didn't get to play on the same line in New York, two left-shot wingers who typically play on the right, but Tarasenko said "it would be amazing" to do so in Detroit. They only have 13 All-Star Games and five Stanley Cups -- and two video game covers -- between them.
"We played against each other for so many years and if somebody told me at that time that we will maybe play together on a line, I would have been like, 'There is no way,'" Tarasenko said with a smile.
"One of us would have to make the move (to left wing), but I think it would be a good fit, just the way he plays," said Kane. "He’s obviously a skilled guy, a great shooter, but he works so hard, he’s hard on pucks, he wins a lot of pucks back and he’s got a great knack for getting open as well."
"He’s a great person," Tarasenko said of Kane. "He treated me well (in New York), we have a good relationship. That’s why I talked to him a couple weeks ago. Happy to play with him again."
And in his other chats with players who have played for the Wings, Tarasenko said they "say only good things about Detroit, the city, the team, and it’s why we decided to come."
"I talked to a lot of guys who used to play there and who are playing there right now, a lot of family guys, and they’ve all been happy there," Tarasenko side. "We’re really excited about it. It’s a new chapter for us and we can’t wait to get to Detroit and get settled and start training camp."