Blackhawks' Connor Bedard weighs in on Patrick Kane return

Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard weighs in on Patrick Kane return originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Connor Bedard just signed a long-term contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks, and he’d love to have the kind of hockey career that Patrick Kane had.

Before it gets too far along, though, he also wouldn’t mind being Kane’s teammate.

Kane is a free agent, and most reports have indicated that he’d either come back to Chicago or sign with his hometown Buffalo Sabres.

On Monday, Bedard had the chance to weigh in on a Kane return, via Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times:

“I can’t imagine his first game back at the UC, the reaction he would get and how much juice that would bring to not only our team but our fans, as well. That would be incredible to get to play with him and learn from him. Hopefully he decides to come back.”

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The right winger will turn 38 years old in November, and he’s coming off a season with 16 goals and 41 assists (57 points) in 67 games for the Detroit Red Wings.

In his career, Kane has put up 1,400 points in 1,369 NHL games, which includes 508 goals and 892 assists.

Kane won three Stanley Cups in a 16-year career with the Blackhawks, who took him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft.

In his 1,161 games with Chicago, Kane had 446 goals and 779 assists (1,225 points). He was one of the best players in the NHL for the majority of his career in the Windy City.

Kane is older now, and not the same player. But as Bedard suggests, the fanbase would get fired up about a Kane return.

And the next rising star for the Blackhawks certainly would like to spend time as Kane’s teammate.

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