NHL's reigning top draft pick scores in hometown debut
by JASON NADOLINSKI Reporter

All smiles on the bench awaiting the start of Saturday morning's practice at HSBC Arena, South Buffalo native Patrick Kane enjoyed a full day in the spotlight in his home town. He was the number one pick in last year's NHL draft.

The expectations were high, and Patrick Kane didn't disappoint.

The South Buffalo native needed all of 2:35 to make his hometown professional debut a successful one, beating Buffalo Sabres' goaltender Ryan Miller with a shot along the ice to give his Chicago Blackhawks an early 1-0 lead Saturday at HSBC Arena.

But that was all the offense the Blackhawks could muster, despite a few dazzling near misses by Kane, as the Sabres made sure Kane's homecoming wasn't a complete triumph. Buffalo used goals by Thomas Vanek, Drew Stafford and Jason Pominville to claim the 3-1 victory.

"It's a good feeling any time you come back to your hometown," Kane said. "You're going to be happy, but it's just an added bonus that I'm playing here in the NHL against the Sabres."

Kane's goal allowed him to maintain his point-per-game production that has helped him prove his few detractors wrong. The goal was his eighth of the year - and first in 13 games - and gave him 31 points for the season.

Patrick Kane (88) jumps for joy after scoring against Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres early in the first period of Saturday's game. Photos by David F. Sherman

"He was definitely the number one pick for a reason," Kane's teammate and Clarence native Kevyn Adams said. "He's extremely talented and gifted in terms of his hockey sense and skill level. He's got that competitive instinct that you can't teach."

Kane was given the royal treatment by hundreds of adoring fans right from the get-go Saturday morning. Legions of Buffalonians, clad in number 88 Chicago jerseys, turned out for the Blackhawks' pregame practice skate and oohed and ahhed every graceful glide down the ice, every powerful slap shot that rang off the goalpost.

Kane's legions of fans seemed to multiply once it came to game time, as nearly every section of HSBC Arena had more than its fair share of fans in Blackhawk attire. While it wasn't exactly something he focused on, the spectacle certainly wasn't lost on Kane.

"It was pretty cool to see a lot of Blackhawk jerseys and shirts out there," Kane said. "Obviously, the sport in Buffalo has been unbelievable, so to see that makes you feel good. You see the cameras when you get off the bus and go into the rink, and then they follow you, and it makes you feel good. I was just trying not to think about it too much, but it's tough at the same time. You see all the support there, and it's good."

The fans, while there to support one of their own, definitely have something to cheer about besides the fact that a local boy has done well for himself. Kane has already had nine multiple-point games in his short career, the most recent of which came in a two-assist outing against the Los Angeles Kings Dec. 12. His best game as a pro came just nine games in, when he scored two goals and assisted on the other two in a 7-4 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets Oct. 23.

Kane's accolades also include being named the NHL's Rookie of the Month in October after piling up 16 points, including five of his goals, to have the best career opening month since Teemu Selanne registered 20 points in 1992.

"Coming in, there weren't too many expectations other than to just make the team, but at the same time, you're coming into training camp as the number one overall pick," Kane said. "You've got to prove yourself to your teammates and the organization that they made the right pick. I just tried to play the best I could. They gave me a shot come the regular season, and I've done well with it."

One of those teammates impressed by Kane has been Adams. Adams, who has not played since suffering an injury to his left knee in a game against Columbus Nov. 7, was paired with Kane right from the first day of training camp. Adams, who was brought in to Chicago for his veteran savvy, turned out being a great mentor to Kane. Throw into the mix the Buffalo connection, and it was like a match made in hockey heaven.

"From day one in camp, everywhere I went, I took him with me," Adams said. "Here's a 19-year-old and a 33-year-old who wouldn't usually hang out, but it's fun for us. I've been in his shoes before; it's nice to know that someone has your back. He had a lot of questions for me, stuff like what it was like to win the Stanley Cup, but more times than not we just wound up talking about back home."

Adams has even learned a thing or two from Kane's youthful exuberance, which no doubt has spurred him to push himself to the max as he rehabs his knee to possibly be healed in time if Chicago makes a playoff run.

"He makes me laugh sometimes because of how he's shown me a way of playing the game and not thinking of too much else," Adams said. "It makes me take a step back and realize that it's still a game. I'm amazed how, at his age, he can deal with all the media attention and autograph requests and still go out there and make it look like he's playing on a pond."

Kane is equally appreciative of Adams' role in his development, which of course has been helped along by the Buffalo connection.

"Kevyn's a great guy," Kane said. "I roomed with him in training camp, and he just told me, 'You've just got to make sure you work hard and, as a rookie, that you're doing the right thing, you're not saying too much in the locker room, but at the same time, you have to be a leader.' He said that's what he did during the first three years of his career. He said he didn't talk too much early, but now he's probably the biggest leader on the team."

The Blackhawks might not have gotten the win in Kane's hometown debut, but don't be surprised to watch Kane's star continue to rise. And Kane won't forget his roots anytime soon, with the memories of his HSBC debut only slightly beating out his area code-emblazoned sticks as reminders of where his hockey journey began.

"Coach (Denis Savard) said to treat it like any other game, but there's only one time that you come back to your hometown for the first time to play against your hometown team," Kane said.

e-mail: jnadolinski@beenews.com