The renaissance of the Chicago Blackhawks is well-chronicled. After not making the Western Conference Finals once since 1995, Chicago got to the NHL's final four in 2008. A five-game series loss to Detroit ended their magical run, but the pieces are in place for the Blackhawks to again be a perennial contender in the NHL.One of those key pieces is forward Patrick Kane. After posting over 140 points in his first two NHL seasons, the dynamic youngster graces the cover of EA Sports' NHL 10. Kane spoke with FanHouse about the game, the Blackhawks, and what was a tumultuous summer.
Like many young players, Kane said he grew up playing EA's NHL games, and was a candidate to be on the cover of last year's game, which featured Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf. "I'm happy it ended up working out," he said.
"Now that it's out, reality sets in that I'm on the cover. It's pretty cool."
He noted that it was his dad who told him the good news once the deal with EA was worked out. Kane said he was supposed to keep it under wraps, so he didn't tell any of his teammates the news. Word leaked, and Kane had a rather funny story about an exchange with Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews.
"I was in the locker room," Kane said, "and Toews walks in. He says 'I hear you're on the cover of NHL 10. Why are you on the cover? What about me?'
"It's cool to be on the cover. Great for me, and good for the Blackhawks, too."
This year's offering from EA is rather low on new features, but it builds effectively on a very good game last year. First-person fighting, the ability to start scrums after a whistle (be careful, because starting them is a good way to go shorthanded), a rebuilt franchise mode (Be A GM) and improved crowd animations are among the key features.
In real life, Kane said he feels his team learned a lot during their playoff run last year.
"You figure out what to do (in the playoffs)," Kane said. "Experience goes a long way in the playoffs. At the same time, we're a year older."
Asked what his team has to do to go even farther in the playoffs, Kane did not hesitate.
There were two pretty controversial stories over the offseason involving the Blackhawks. On July 14, word got out that the team had fired general manager Dale Tallon, who had seen a ton of success since taking over. Former Blackhawk Martin Havlat, who had signed with Minnesota July 1, was openly critical of the move, blaming front office unrest on executive John McDonough.
Then came the morning of Aug. 19, and word that Kane had been arrested for an alleged assault on a cab driver. The case was settled just over a week later, but it wasn't the way for the offseason to end.
Now that it's time to play hockey, Kane couldn't be more excited for the chance to move on.
"It's nice to get everything behind you," Kane said. "You tend to take things for granted, but it's a privilege we all have to play this great game. It was a tough time, but now I get to move forward."
Kane was appreciative of the support he got from many different places, including his locker room.
"I got great support from the Blackhawks, EA, family, friends, everyone. The team has been great, from the front office to the trainers, everybody."
As part of a busy summer, the Buffalo, N.Y., native also had a chance to take part in an evaluation camp for Team USA, as the 2010 Winter Olympics approach. Kane is excited about the opportunity to represent his country.
"I hope it happens, especially with the Games in Vancouver," he said. "Canada came on U.S. soil (in 2002 at Salt Lake City) and took the gold from us. It's not city versus city, it's country versus country, and I think this is the greatest country in the world. It's a great opportunity."
Kane and the Blackhawks head overseas to open the season. They play the Florida Panthers Oct. 2 in Helsinki, Finland. Meanwhile, NHL 10 is available now at stores nationwide.
