CHICAGO (104.3 The Score) -- The United Center crowd roared through the national anthem on a frigid winter Saturday night as singer Jim Cornelison delivered each note. Along the blue line in his familiar No. 88 was Patrick Kane, wearing the Red Wings' wheel on his white sweater.
The Blackhawks were about to play without star center Connor Bedard, who suffered a shoulder injury one night earlier in St. Louis, and they would be blanked 4-0 in another empty game of a lost season. But the 37-year-old Kane couldn't help but take in the roar once more.
"I was just so shocked at how loud it was," Kane said. "And I was thinking to myself, 'Is this how loud it is for every game? Did I take it for granted when I was here?'"
Kane certainly isn't alone taking for granted what the Blackhawks once were – a modern hockey dynasty that captured the hearts of Chicago with three lifts of the Stanley Cup. But as this franchise builds hopes of new glory days ahead, the 37-year-old Kane has returned.
The Blackhawks signed Kane to a two-year deal that comes with an $8-million cap hit each season. He will finish that contract at the age of 40 – perhaps the end of a Hall of Fame hockey career.
But this isn't a retirement tour for Kane, nor is it a nostalgia-based signing by the Blackhawks.
"That's not the story," Kane said. "It's to come back, help this team win, help this team get back in the playoffs.
"I want to come back and make a difference, help this team win."
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson, who sat to Kane's left late Friday morning at the team's west side headquarters, echoed those sentiments. Ultimately, Davidson was resistant to the notion of a reunion with Kane prior to his free agency beginning on July 1.
Davidson has preferred the focus to be on this young Blackhawks team – a rising star in Bedard, who signed a five-year, $75-million contract extension on Saturday, along with a promising core taking shape.
The task of Davidson was to move the Blackhawks past their dynasty memories and towards sustained success again. He felt a player of Kane's profile would distract from that. But this is quite different now.
Kane is a complementary addition for the Blackhawks who can help reveal the best of Bedard, 22-year-old center Frank Nazar, 21-year-old winger Roman Kantserov and these young players establishing their careers.
"I want to be very clear," Davidson said. "We're bringing him in to contribute to the hockey team here. The nostalgia and the return is a very nice aspect of it, but it's not the core reason. We're bringing him in to make our team better, which we firmly belief he does do. We're ready to continue to take steps and believe that he's an important piece to help that."
The Blackhawks made a key investment in this core last month when they traded for 25-year-old defenseman Bowen Byram, dealing the No. 4 overall pick in the draft. The team then signed Byram to a six-year, $75-million deal, backing the belief that he will become a No. 1 defenseman.
That meant a key void remained on Bedard's top line. It seems Kane will be that player – a fascinating link of Blackhawks past and present.
"He's such a special player," Kane said of Bedard. "This will be my 20th year in the league, and I'd probably see passes I've never seen before playing with him. That speaks to how great of a player he is."
When Kane steps back to the blue line at the United Center for the national anthem, Bedard won't be by his side just yet. He underwent shoulder surgery earlier this month – this time for his left shoulder after injuring the right side last December. It won't be long before Bedard is healthy and centering a line with Kane.
On the night of Tuesday, Oct. 6, Kane will step onto the United Center ice once again – this time wearing his No. 88 in that familiar Blackhawks red. Admittedly, he always pondered this reunion in the back of his mind. Kane just never believed it would happen.
This isn't a salute to the Blackhawks' era of the past – it's the beginning of a new day in Chicago. Kane certainly isn't considering when the end may come. But he won't take any of this for granted.
“It's not like I'm just coming back home to ride off into the sunset or whatever it is," Kane said. "I want to be a big player here and help the team win.
"Help the people in Chicago, the players here and the organization here feel what it's like to win in this city."
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
