Minor and junior Kane played for the Buffalo Saints 14U AAA hockey club. At the age of 14, Kane relocated to
Detroit, Michigan, to play for Honeybaked during the 2003–04 season. He resided with former NHL player
Pat Verbeek while living in Detroit, whom Kane regards as a mentor and one of his primary reasons for relocating. Kane did not join the team and instead played for the
United States National Team Development Program (NTDP), which was based in Michigan. Kane joined the London Knights for the
2006–07 OHL season. Kane appeared in 58 games for Knights, where he recorded 62 goals and 83 assists, while combining with his linemates for 394 points. Kane also won the
Canadian Hockey League's (CHL)
Top Prospect and
Top Scorer awards. His 145 points is the fifth most for a rookie in CHL history.
Professional Chicago Blackhawks (2007–2023) Heading into the
2007 NHL entry draft, Kane was ranked second among North American prospects by the
NHL Central Scouting Bureau and was chosen first overall by the
Chicago Blackhawks. The
St. Louis Blues offered to trade the Blackhawks their 9th, 24th and 26th overall picks in the 2007 Draft in order to acquire Chicago's first overall selection and draft Kane. On July 25, 2007, Blackhawks' general manager
Dale Tallon announced that they had signed Kane to a three-year contract. Kane threw the
ceremonial first pitch at a
Chicago Cubs game on June 25, 2007, at
Wrigley Field. Kane later joined
Denis Savard, the Blackhawks' coach, in singing "
Take Me Out to the Ball Game". during his inaugural NHL season, February 2008 Kane made his NHL debut on October 4, 2007, against the
Minnesota Wild. He recorded his first assist and first shootout goal (a game-winner) two days later against
Dominik Hašek of the
Detroit Red Wings. He scored his first NHL goal on October 19, beating
José Théodore of the
Colorado Avalanche. With a quick start to his rookie campaign, on November 2, Kane was named the NHL Rookie of the Month for October after scoring 5 goals and 11 assists in 12 games. On December 15, Kane and the Blackhawks visited the Buffalo Sabres to mark Kane's first return to Buffalo as a professional hockey player. Kane received a special cheer from his hometown and a special ceremony was held before the game. The Blackhawks lost the game 3–1, with Kane scoring their lone goal. Kane finished his first NHL campaign atop the rookie scoring race with 72 points. On June 12, 2008, he received the
Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL's rookie of the year, finishing ahead of teammate
Jonathan Toews and
Washington Capitals forward
Nicklas Bäckström. in November 2009 The following season, Kane and Toews helped lead a rejuvenated Blackhawks team back to the
Stanley Cup playoffs. After recording 70 points in the regular season and eliminating the fifth-seeded
Calgary Flames in the opening round of the
2009 playoffs, Kane scored his first career
hat-trick in game six of the second round against the third-seeded
Vancouver Canucks on May 11, 2009. The Blackhawks won the game 7–5 for a 4–2 victory in the series, clinching their spot in the
Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1995. After the game, Kane told the
Chicago Sun-Times that he was "fired up" after Canucks defenseman
Willie Mitchell claimed that Kane "couldn't play five-on-five". Shortly into the 2009 off-season, the
Chicago Tribune reported that Kane would be the cover athlete for
EA Sports'
NHL 10. In the final season of his initial rookie contract, on December 3, 2009, Kane signed a reported five-year, $31.5 million contract extension with Chicago. The deal was announced simultaneously with contract extensions to both Toews and defenseman
Duncan Keith. In the season, Kane finished with all 82 games played with a career-high 88 points (30 goals, 58 assists) to rank ninth in the NHL in scoring. The Blackhawks finished first in the
Central Division and second in the Western Conference. They advanced to the
2010 Stanley Cup Finals. On June 9, 2010, in game six of the Finals, Kane scored the overtime winner when he shot the puck under the pads of
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender
Michael Leighton and into the net, winning the Blackhawks the
Stanley Cup. The goal ended a 49-year Stanley Cup drought for the Blackhawks. It also made Kane the youngest player in NHL history to score a Stanley Cup-winning goal in overtime; that record previously belonged to
Bobby Orr in . On December 5, 2010, in a 4–2 win over the Calgary Flames, Kane suffered a high-ankle sprain as he was hit by Flames defenseman
Cory Sarich, causing him to miss the next nine games. As the
2010–11 season went on, Kane was selected as an
alternate captain for the
2011 NHL All-Star Game. On March 14, 2011, in a 6–3 win over the
San Jose Sharks, Kane scored his 100th NHL goal on Sharks' goaltender
Antero Niittymäki, becoming the third youngest player in NHL history to hit the mark. On April 10 in the last game of the season in a 4–3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Kane recorded his 200th career assist on a
Michael Frolík goal. This loss put the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks in danger of missing the
playoffs with their only hope being that the
Dallas Stars lose their final game which came later that same day against the Minnesota Wild which they would go on to lose 5–3 resulting in the Blackhawks clinching the eighth and final playoff spot, two points ahead of the Stars. He finished the season 27 goals and 46 assists for 73 points in 73 games. In the Blackhawks first round exit against the
Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks, Kane recorded a goal and five assists for six points in all seven games. Kane revealed he underwent surgery to repair a
broken wrist he suffered in the penultimate game on April 8 in a 4–2 win over the Detroit Red Wings that was only discovered during the following offseason after the Blackhawks first round playoff exit. Kane recorded 66 points on 23 goals and 43 assists for 66 points in all 82 games during the
2011–12 season, marking his lowest offensive output since his rookie season as the Blackhawks finished as the sixth seed in the Western Conference. In the first round of the
2012 playoffs, Kane was held goalless with four assists and points recorded as the Blackhawks would go on to lose the series against the third-seeded
Phoenix Coyotes in six games. Shortly after the Blackhawks elimination from the 2012 playoffs, Kane was criticized after photos surfaced showing him in an intoxicated state at a
Cinco de Mayo block party in
Madison, Wisconsin during the ensuing offseason. Blackhawks general manager
Stan Bowman commented, "We are aware of that situation. We followed it closely. It was one of those things where we've discussed it with Patrick. We've handled that internally." rally at
Grant Park Kane played overseas, signing a contract on October 24, 2012, to play for Swiss club
EHC Biel during the
2012–13 NHL lockout. In 20
National League A games, Kane scored 13 goals and had 10 assists alongside fellow NHL star forward
Tyler Seguin, Biel's second NHL player. Kane also played for
HC Davos in the
2012 Spengler Cup. When the lockout ended and play began in the
2012–13 season in January 2013, Jonathan Toews tied Kane for the team lead in goals with 23. Kane finished the season as the team leader in assists (32) and points (55). His 55 points were ranked fifth in the league overall only behind
Tampa Bay Lightning winger and
Art Ross Trophy winner
Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning center
Steven Stamkos, Washington Capitals winger and captain
Alexander Ovechkin and
Pittsburgh Penguins center and captain
Sidney Crosby, respectively. Kane was named a finalist for the
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability." The award would eventually go to Lightning' winger Martin St. Louis and Kane finishing second in the trophy voting. Kane scored his second career playoff hat-trick in the
2013 playoffs against the defending Stanley Cup champion and fifth-seeded
Los Angeles Kings, including the series-clinching goal in double overtime of Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on June 8, 2013. The Blackhawks advanced to the
2013 Stanley Cup Finals against the fourth-seeded
Boston Bruins. Kane contributed by scoring three goals, one in Game 4 and two in Game 5, to win the 2013
Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP. In addition, Kane was the first winger since
Claude Lemieux in , and the first
number one overall draft pick since
Mario Lemieux in , to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. On March 19, 2014, Kane injured his left leg following a collision with
Brenden Morrow in a game against the St. Louis Blues. He missed the remainder of the regular season but returned for the
2014 playoffs. During the playoffs, he recorded a team-high 20 points in all 19 games with 8 goals and 12 assists. As part of that run, on May 2, in Game 1 of Blackhawks' Western Conference Semifinals against the Minnesota Wild, Kane scored two goals, including the game-winning goal while coining his nickname "Showtime". On July 9, 2014, the Blackhawks announced that Kane and Jonathan Toews had both signed eight-year contract extensions, set to start running on July 1, 2015, with an annual average value of $10.5 million. rally at
Soldier Field with
Brad Richards and
Daniel Carcillo During the
2014–15 season, Kane emerged as one of the NHL's leading scorers. On January 20, 2015, in a 6–1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes, Kane scored his 200th NHL goal on Coyotes' goaltender
Mike Smith. Later the same month, he was elected to the
2015 NHL All-Star Game in
Columbus, Ohio. He scored 64 points (27 goals and 37 assists) through the regular season. He injured his left
clavicle on February 24, after he was cross-checked into the boards while stumbling towards the ice by
Alex Petrovic in a game against the
Florida Panthers. Kane underwent surgery and was expected to miss 12 weeks. At the time of his injury, he was leading the NHL in points. However, he recovered weeks earlier than initially projected and returned to the Blackhawks at the start of the
2015 playoffs. After initially playing on the second line with
Bryan Bickell and
Brad Richards, Chicago head coach
Joel Quenneville moved Kane to the Blackhawks' top line alongside Jonathan Toews and
Brandon Saad after the
Anaheim Ducks took a 3–2 game lead in the Western Conference Finals going into game six. The trio combined for nine points over the final two games against the top-seeded Ducks and propelled the Blackhawks to the
Stanley Cup Finals. Kane played in all 23 playoff games and finished the playoffs with 11 goals and 12 assists, tying the Lightning's
Tyler Johnson with a playoff-high 23 points. Following the 2015 off-season departures of Brandon Saad and Brad Richards to the
Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings respectively, the Blackhawks signed rookie winger
Artemi Panarin and traded for veteran center
Artem Anisimov to join Kane on the second line for the
2015–16 season. Kane recorded a 26-game point streak between October and December, during which he tallied 16 goals and 24 assists. This was the longest streak by any American-born skater, and the longest point-streak in Blackhawks history. On April 3, Kane scored his second hat trick in a 6–4 win against the Boston Bruins, reaching 100 points and becoming the first Blackhawks player to score
100 points in a season since
Jeremy Roenick in , and the first American NHL player to reach 100 points since
Doug Weight in . He ended the season with a league-high 106 points (46 goals, 60 assists), winning both the
Hart Memorial Trophy and the Art Ross Trophy; he is Chicago's first winner of either award since
Stan Mikita scored 87 points in and is the first American player in NHL history to capture either trophy since they have been awarded. Kane also won the
Ted Lindsay Award, given to the NHL's most outstanding player as voted by the
National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA). Kane's 46 goals ranked second overall in the NHL making him the runner up for the
Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy only behind Washington Capitals forward and captain Alexander Ovechkin who scored 50 goals as the league leader. Kane continued his success with Panarin and Anisimov during the
2016–17 season. He finished the season playing in all 82 contests with 34 goals, 55 assists 89 points, finishing second in the NHL behind
Edmonton Oilers captain
Connor McDavid and tied with Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and was named a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award for the second straight season and second time in his career which was eventually given to McDavid. Kane was selected to play on the NHL's Central Division team for the
2017 NHL All-Star Game. However, Kane and the top seeded Blackhawks were swept by the eighth seeded
Nashville Predators during the first round of the
2017 playoffs. Kane only tallied one goal and assist during the series. During the ensuing off-season, Panarin was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a four-player deal in exchange for Brandon Saad returning to the Blackhawks. In the 2017 off-season, Kane was named in the 100 Greatest NHL Players list for NHL's Centennial Anniversary. On December 23, 2017, in a 4–1 loss to the
New Jersey Devils, Kane scored his 300th NHL goal against Devils' goaltender
Cory Schneider. Kane recorded the first five-point game of his NHL career on January 9, 2018, against the
Ottawa Senators. He was selected to play in the
2018 NHL All-Star Game. On January 20, in a game against the
New York Islanders, Kane recorded his 800th career point, becoming only the fifth player in franchise history to reach that milestone. The
2018–19 season saw Kane record (44) goals, along with a career high in assists (66) and points (110) while playing with
Dylan Strome and
Alex DeBrincat on the teams second line. His 44 goals were fifth most in the NHL overall behind Tampa Bay Lightning forward and captain Steven Stamkos with 45 goals,
Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares with 47 goals, Edmonton Oilers forward
Leon Draisaitl and the league leading 51 goals from Washington Capitals forward and captain Alexander Ovechkin, respectively. Kane was named a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award for the third time in his career which would ultimately go to Tampa Bay Lightning forward
Nikita Kucherov. Kane led all skaters in scoring between 2010 and 2019 with 807 points and his 315 goals was fourth most goals scored behind Alexander Ovechkin with 437, Steven Stamkos with 363 and John Tavares with 319, respectively. He was named to the 2010–19 NHL All-Decade Team. On January 19, 2020, against the Winnipeg Jets, Kane scored his 1,000th NHL career point, assisting on a goal by Brandon Saad. In doing so, Kane became the fourth player in Blackhawks franchise history to reach that mark with the club, along with Stan Mikita,
Bobby Hull and Denis Savard. During the
2019–20 season, the Blackhawks appointed Kane as an
alternate captain after
Brent Seabrook missed the remainder of the season due to multiple surgeries. Kane retained his role as an alternate captain going into
2020–21 season, which shortened to a 56-game schedule due to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic. He ended the season with 15 goals and tallied 51 assists for a team-high 66 points in all 56 games played. He finished with the fifth-most points among all skaters in the NHL for the season. On March 9, Kane played in his 1,000th career game against the Dallas Stars and became only the seventh player in franchise history to reach the milestone. After the season's conclusion, Kane was named the Best NHL Player at the
2021 ESPY Awards. Kane appeared in 78 games for the Blackhawks during the
2021–22 season where he recorded 26 goals, 66 assists and 92 points, tying his career high in assists from three years prior in the 2018–19 season, despite playing the entire season with a persistent undisclosed injury. Kane's 92 points marked the third-highest scoring season of his career. Kane tallied 16 goals and 29 assists for 45 points in 54 games for Chicago during the
2022–23 campaign.
New York Rangers (2023) The Blackhawks and Kane parted ways at the trade deadline, with the team opting to acquire future draft capital and initiate a full-scale rebuild. On February 28, 2023, Kane's 16-year tenure with the Blackhawks ended as he and prospect Cooper Zech were traded to the
New York Rangers in exchange for a conditional second-round pick in the
2023 NHL entry draft, a fourth-round pick, and defenseman
Andy Welinski. To help facilitate the trade, the Rangers sent the Arizona Coyotes a fifth-round selection in the
2025 draft. The move reunited Kane with former Blackhawk teammate Artemi Panarin, who played a major role during Kane's MVP season in 2015-16. Kane put up 12 points for the Rangers in 19 games. He recorded one goal and five assists in the postseason, as the Rangers lost to the New Jersey Devils in seven games. Following the Rangers' first-round playoff exit,
Pat Brisson announced that Kane underwent successful hip resurfacing surgery on June 1, and would miss from four to sixth months while recovering. Kane considered Detroit as one of his preferred destinations upon becoming a free agent. He remarked on the signing, "Throughout the whole process, I felt like Detroit was always there. It was always in the back of my mind, kind of in my heart as well, to come join this team." His decision was also influenced by the opportunity to reunite with former Chicago Blackhawks teammate Alex DeBrincat. He enjoyed a six-game point streak in late December, where he tallied five goals and six assists. On February 25, Kane made his return to Chicago and played his first game against the Chicago Blackhawks since being traded a year prior. In overtime, he scored the game-winning goal on a
breakaway and received a standing ovation from the fans at the
United Center. Kane concluded the season with 20 goals and 27 assists in 50 games as the Red Wings missed the playoffs. He ranked fourth on the team in goals while his 47 points ranked sixth on the team. He also led the team with three overtime goals and seven game-winning goals. Red Wings general manager
Steve Yzerman commended Kane's contributions to the team, stating "He's like a wizard with the puck -- his skill, his sense, his calmness in high-pressure situations and in the danger areas. He was great for our team, and I think he brought a lot of what I guess they call swag." On December 29, Kane recorded his 1,300th career point with an assist on an Alex DeBrincat goal in a 4–2 win over the Washington Capitals, becoming the second American-born player and 38th player in league history to hit the mark. He completed the season with 21 goals and 59 points in 72 games for the Red Wings. On June 30, 2025, Kane signed another one-year contract extension with Detroit. On January 29, Kane scored his 1,375th career point to become the all-time leading U.S.-born point scorer, surpassing
Mike Modano's record. Kane finished his second season in Detroit with 16 goals and 41 assists in 66 games. He expressed interest in returning to the NHL for a 20th season. ==Player profile==