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Patrick Kane returns to the NHL playoffs Tuesday when the New York Rangers face the New Jersey Devils in the first round, a joyous moment for Chicago Blackhawks fans.
Kane’s presence gives Hawks fans a reason to keep watching hockey, even as their team ceremoniously shut the door on the championship era Thursday with the announcement that Jonathan Toews will not return next season.
Seeing Kane and former Hawks teammate Artemi Panarin skate together in search of the Stanley Cup should prove cathartic after listening to Hawks executives try to explain the reason for telling Toews he was no longer wanted.
You might have thought at this point the decision on whether to return should’ve been Toews’ to make. But of course you would be wrong. The Hawks didn’t get a chance to throw a goodbye party for Kane before the trade deadline. They weren’t going to make the same mistake twice.
So general manager Kyle Davidson announced before the season finale at the United Center that it also would be Toews’ last game as a Hawk, ending any offseason speculation that could detract from the rebuild.
Davidson could’ve let Toews talk about his future after the game, but the preemptive move ensured there was no question the team had moved on and this was the end of the Kane-Toews era.
“I don’t know if it’s necessarily putting the past behind us,” Davidson said. “It’s more so clearing the deck to some extent to allow the organic growth for young players into leadership roles and offer this new era of Blackhawks player the same opportunity that Toews, Kane, (Duncan) Keith, (Brent) Seabrook, they were all offered when they came into the league.
“When there’s a player like Jonathan or Patrick in your locker room, you defer to them.”
Of all the reasons for cutting the cord, I never would’ve guessed the Hawks would come up with one that lame.
The idea that Toews’ presence would prevent someone else in the locker room from “organically” becoming a leader is ludicrous. Toews left the team Feb. 7 to deal with symptoms of long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and didn’t return to the ice until April 2.
Two months of “organic growth” wasn’t enough? You don’t “clear the decks” by removing an icon for a 21-year-old who might have leadership skills that can’t come out until the face of the franchise is gone
If Toews wanted to return, the Hawks owed it to their captain to listen. He didn’t build the United Center, but Toews contributed greatly to the Hawks’ 535-game sellout streak that coincided with his prime from 2008-21.
Toews might not want to continue playing, which makes sense considering his health issues and advancing age. If nothing is left in the tank, it was a great way to go out, with standing ovations, one last lap and family on hand for the farewell.
But he would’ve received that same kind of treatment even if Davidson had waited until the next day to make his announcement.
Toews said after the game he is undecided about retirement and would take some time to think about his future. Maybe no other team would sign a 35-year-old whose productivity has dropped and whose availability no longer is guaranteed.
But I doubt it. If Toews wants to play, some contender will offer him a short-term deal. There are plenty of instances of veteran players contributing to a Stanley Cup champion near the end of their careers, even in a complementary role.
When the Hawks shipped 32-year-old Steve Larmer to the Hartford Whalers in November 1993 — after Larmer sat out the first 13 games because of a contract dispute — he was immediately dealt again to the Rangers, then led by former Hawks coach Mike Keenan.
“I asked Larmer if he could play three more years,” Keenan said after the trade. “And he said, ‘No, I can play five.’ That’s what I wanted to hear.”
Larmer scored 406 goals in 13 seasons for the Hawks without a Cup. He finished the 1994 playoffs with nine goals, including four in the Stanley Cup Final, as the Rangers captured their first Cup in 54 years. I’ll never forget Larmer and four former Hawks teammates celebrating in the bowels of Madison Square Garden after the Game 7 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
Most Hawks fans were hoping Larmer could get his Cup in ‘94, and most I know are biting the bullet and pulling for the Rangers once again. That’s how respected Kane was in Chicago.
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Toews will be watching his old pal too.
“He’s got a new challenge in front of him with a new team,” Toews said. ”Early on in our career, there was always some healthy competition — maybe sometimes not so healthy. But I think we’re both at that point in our lives where we’re happy for each other’s success.
“I wish him all the best, and I don’t want to sit here and admit I’m going to be a Rangers fan but I’ll always be a Patrick Kane fan.”
If Kane has a strong showing and the Rangers advance far into the postseason, who knows? It could inspire Toews to return next fall, when he might turn out to be the final piece of someone else’s puzzle. That would be a happy ending most Hawks fans could live with, even if Toews was wearing the sweater of a team they never really liked.
So the Hawks rebuild goes on, growing organically as the organization demands. Toews will relax with family and friends before making a decision.
“When you’re playing hockey, everyone’s attention is on you and you’re putting yourself first,” he said. “You have to be selfish in a lot of ways. It’d be nice to just let your guard down and just see where life takes you a little bit.”
No matter where life takes Toews, he’ll always be home in Chicago.
