Patrick Kane, 20, of the Chicago Blackhawks. He says of his 21st birthday: "I know we play that night. Nov. 19 I think we're in Canada. It wouldn't even matter if I wanted to go out because the drinking age there is 19 so it wouldn't even matter. It's kind of ironic that my 21st birthday would happen there." (Phil Velasquez/Chicago Tribune)
Deep down, Patrick Kane is pretty nervous. He'd be lying if he told you he wasn't.
The 2007 overall top draft pick is standing in a hallway of the United Center when he spots the goalie of the Detroit Red Wings--the Blackhawks' arch rival.
But this isn't just any goalie. It's "The Dominator." Dominik Hasek, one of the best goalies in hockey, was Kane's idol as a kid. He watched him play for the Sabres in Buffalo, where Kane was raised.
Nudged by his dad, Kane approaches Hasek for a photo.
"Wait, wait, aren't you the kid that just scored on me?" Hasek asks
him. "I was like `yeah,' " Kane recalls of meeting Hasek after he
scored the game-winning goal in a shootout in his first home game. "I don't know if he was too happy. But in the picture, he's got a really big smile," Kane told RedEye in an interview last month at the stadium. "It was one of those moments you remember for the rest of your life."
Since then, Kane, now 20, has racked up accolades and career highlights, including winning the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year, being named to the starting lineup for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game and becoming the youngest player to grace the cover of the NHL 10 video game.
But his meteoric rise has not been without controversy. The highly publicized altercation between Kane, his cousin and a cab driver in Buffalo, N.Y., this summer, in which Kane pleaded guilty to a non-criminal charge of disorderly conduct, has cast a shadow over his accomplishments.
"It's one of those things where it might be better if it happened sooner rather than later because you realize who your true friends are, who's going to be there for you throughout your whole life. Maybe it humbled me even more," Kane said.
"I'm not mad about what happened. I'm not mad that it got blown out of the media and maybe blown out of proportion in the media too. But at the same time, I think I'm looking to move forward and just try to be a regular kid."
Kane on his mouth guard: "I guess Jordan had his tongue, flying down the basketball court. And they're saying I have my mouthpiece always out of my mouth. I'm sure it's the same thing with him. But it's not like I'm trying to do it on purpose. It's kind of a bad habit where it hangs out of my mouth when I'm skating on the ice. I tend to chew on it a lot too." (Phil Velasquez/Chicago Tribune)
But he's also just a kid. A kid with a boyish grin. A kid who plays himself sometimes in the new NHL 10 video game. And a kid who's still adjusting to how big of a hockey superstar he truly is.
When Kane, who lives downtown, hears his name shouted as he's walking down Michigan Avenue, he turns around expecting to see someone he knows. He's even stunned to be recognized by other athletes--like the time he walked by Bears defensive end Alex Brown after filming a commercial at Halas Hall in Lake Forest.
"He's on the phone with his wife [saying] `Honey, honey I got to call you back. Guess who I'm talking to right now? Patrick Kane.' I'm like wow, this is a football player saying this about me. It's pretty cool," said Kane, recounting the story.
Hockey fans are equally taken aback by Kane.
Brent Zartler, 23, said he was "awestruck" when he met Kane at the Blackhawks convention in the summer. "He was very polite, not a big ego," said Zartler, who lives in Tinley Park.
His girlfriend, Brittany Houdek, 23, gushed about Kane as she wore his No. 88 jersey, the top-selling Hawks jersey and sixth overall sold on shop.nhl.com.
"I like that he's aggressive and gets the job done all the time," said Houdek, a hairstylist in Tinley Park.
His talent is undeniable.
"He's an unbelievable passer, and it's tough to make plays over sticks and find people in congested areas," said Eddie Olczyk, TV analyst for the Hawks on Comcast SportsNet.
The Hawks are selling out home games after rallying fans last year in a city where hockey is often overshadowed by the Bears, Bulls, Cubs and Sox. The team's playoff run ended when the Hawks lost in the conference finals against the Red Wings.
Hours before last month's home opener, fans flocked to the United Center, cheering for Kane as he and his teammates strutted down the red carpet on Madison Street.
"He's a good guy, but he had his slip-up in the summer," said Brian Dunne, 18, a student who lives in Westmont. "Hopefully, there's no more dumb kid-related stuff."
When faced with adversity, people show their true colors in how they react,, said Olczyk, a former Blackhawk who was the third overall pick in 1984 when he was 18, the same age Kane was when he was drafted.
"He put himself in that situation, and he owned up to it," he said.
Though Kane has never publicly discussed the details of what happened in the cab that summer night, he has apologized.
"As a society, I think we're pretty respectful of honesty and everybody's got to make mistakes. Nobody goes through life, especially young kids, without making mistakes," Olczyk said. "At some point, most--not all--a very high majority of players need a wake-up call or something to have them take a step back and realize the position they're in."
Off the ice, Kane has become more guarded. Feeling like he's under a microscope, he treats any conversation as though it would be publicized. Hopping into cabs since has been slightly awkward. He's trying to rebuild his reputation.
Still, would he trade places with his buddies in college?
"Not a chance," Kane said. "I'd rather be in my situation any day of the week."
lvivanco@tribune.com
]]>