Rob Issa, FISM News
Patrick Kane has a new NHL home in the Big Apple.
The four-time All-Star and three-time Stanley Cup champion was traded from the Chicago Blackhawks to the New York Rangers on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old Kane played 16 seasons in Chicago and helped the Blackhawks win three championships. He scored the winning goal in overtime in Game 6 of the 2010 Cup Finals against Philadelphia, ending Chicago’s 49-year title drought.
“This has been an emotional time for me and my family, but I feel this decision puts me in the best spot to immediately win another Stanley Cup,” Kane said in a statement. “This isn’t about me leaving the Blackhawks, but this is an opportunity for me — the Blackhawks did everything they could to put me in a great position and I will forever be grateful.”
The trade to New York reunites Kane with former teammate Artemi Panarin. The star winger played two seasons with Panarin. Kane waived his no-trade clause to accept the move to New York, which improves its championship hopes. The Rangers previously acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from St. Louis on Feb. 9.
Kane had 16 goals and 29 assists in 54 games with the Blackhawks.
The Rangers traded a conditional 2023 second-round draft pick, a 2025 fourth-rounder, and minor league defenseman Andy Welinski to the Blackhawks for Kane and minor league defenseman Cooper Zech. Defenseman Vili Saarijarvi went from Arizona to Chicago as part of the three-team trade.
“A lot of emotions, to be honest. It doesn’t seem real right now, that we traded Patrick Kane,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said. “But really excited for him to get a chance to play for the Rangers, play at Madison Square Garden with a really good team, and we’re looking forward to watching him compete with New York.”
Kane is playing his best hockey of the season with seven goals and three assists during a four-game scoring streak.
“I think Patrick recognized it was a good fit for him and it’s a good fit for us,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said. “We’re certainly excited that he wanted to be traded and that it was to the New York Rangers.”
Kane, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft, is in the last season of an $84 million, eight-year contract extension signed in July 2014.
In Chicago, Kane helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015. He was MVP of the playoffs in 2013 and won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 2016. Chicago has struggled this season and Kane was set to test free agency this summer.
“The contributions Patrick Kane has made to the Blackhawks organization and city of Chicago will never be forgotten,” Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz said. “While today marks the end of an era for the team, he will forever be a part of the Blackhawks family.”
Other top teams also made big moves ahead of the league’s upcoming trade deadline. The Carolina Hurricanes acquired Jesse Puljujarvi from the Edmonton Oilers.
“Jesse possesses a great blend of size and skill, and he will add to the depth of our forward group,” Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said. “He has familiarity with some of our other Finnish players, and we see him as a great fit for our team and locker room.”
OTHER NHL MOVES
The Toronto Maple Leafs made three different deals to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference. They acquired defenseman Luke Schenn from Vancouver, traded Rasmus Sandin to Washington for a first-round pick and veteran Erik Gustafsson and sent forward Pierre Engvall to the New York Islanders.
In the Western Conference, Minnesota acquired forward Marcus Johansson from Washington. The Wild also got injured winger Gustav Nyquist from Columbus.