It didn’t take long for the Chicago Blackhawks to express interest in free agent Patrick Kane.
According to Kane in an interview on Monday’s “Pardon My Take” in Chicago, Blackhawks owner Danny Wirtz made an “emotional call” to the Detroit Red Wings’ forward just after free agency started on July 1, 2026 at 12:01 p.m., Eastern time.
Three weeks later, Kane signed a two-year, $16 million contract to return to Chicago where he won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
“If you were to ask me last year, at the end of the season, I thought I would be going back to Detroit,” Kane said in the interview. “Danny (Wirtz) called me at 11:03 (Central time) or something, as soon as free agency opened and it was actually kind of an emotional call from him, a call I’ll never forget.
“All of a sudden you start thinking about, okay, well, there’s interest. Maybe it’d be a cool place to come back and play.”
Kane was then asked if he had thought about coming back to Chicago during the regular season.
“There was a moment maybe a year ago where you’re like, I can see myself kind of going back there at the end,” he said. “Maybe a little bit, but nothing like too serious where I thought it could actually happen. I think things just kind of worked out at this stage, where they’re trying to take a step as a team.
“I was a free agent and feeling good about my body, about myself, about my game. Obviously they made some big moves this summer, getting (Bowen) Byram and signing Connor (Bedard), some other players coming in, some free agents, some veteran guys.
“I thought it would be a great fit, not only because I’m living in Chicago or because I played for the Blackhawks, but because I actually think it’s a good fit for me personally as a hockey player. I’m excited about it. It’s going to be great.”
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Patrick Kane’s decision to leave Wings sealed by phone call from Hawks owner
Reporting by The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
