Rozner: Blackhawks welcome Kane, circus to camp

Not long ago, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman referred to the Patrick Kane investigation as “unfortunate.”

Perhaps that was Bettman language for “inappropriate,” or just plain “unlucky.”

It's an unfortunate word to use considering the circumstances.

Driving your car into a pothole on a dark street is unfortunate. Dropping a dumbbell on your foot is unfortunate. Tripping over the boards and landing on your face mask is unfortunate.

Being accused of sexual assault is not “unfortunate.”

Kane could be charged with a crime — though he's not been charged with anything and may never be — and still no sign of the commissioner.

Paging Gary Bettman. Please pick up a white courtesy phone and take a call from the Blackhawks.

While John McDonough and Stan Bowman ushered in a new era of Hawks hockey Thursday afternoon in South Bend, Bettman was nowhere to be found and the Hawks were left to say, well, nothing.

They did not explain why Kane would participate in practice Friday morning after locking himself in his house for the last month. They said the legal process prevented them from addressing anything regarding Kane, and they said, essentially, nothing at all.

Bettman could have taken this decision out of their hands and made the call himself, as he clearly has the power to do so, but he left Hawks brass dangling in front of the media and gritting their teeth.

That will not satisfy a portion of the fan base that right now can't stomach the thought of Kane wearing a sweater that signifies so much more than just a hockey team.

Ask a number of Hawks fans and half will tell you they don't even want to think about hockey at the moment, a Stanley Cup celebration that has turned to disgust.

Not exactly how you want to raise the banner.

It's a brand that has stood for class and excellence since Rocky Wirtz took the helm and right now all anyone can think of or talk about is Patrick Kane.

That is the new era of Hawks hockey. This was the Summer of Kane.

Sitting before reporters at Notre Dame, Kane also said very little in his first public comments since authorities in Hamburg, N.Y., where he lives, began investigating him for an alleged sexual assault. He answered no questions about the legal process and wouldn't even answer questions about how he thought fans would greet him, or whether he considered skipping training camp.

That has nothing to do with the legal process but Kane said it did, so he offered nothing.

It was, at the very least, uncomfortable.

There are some critically important training camp decisions coming and enough new players to keep the media and fans fascinated for months.

The Hawks have a lot of work to do to get ready for the season, working several new players into the mix minus the likes of Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp, Brad Richards, Kris Versteeg and Johnny Oduya, and the distractions and displacement are serious enough without the circus atmosphere Kane creates.

Yet, the focus is entirely on one player and will continue to be.

Meanwhile, the league's video game took Kane off the cover with Jonathan Toews, and last week the NHL kicked off its media tour in Toronto without one of the stars of the three-time Stanley Cup champs.

At the same time in Toronto, the NHL unveiled plans for the 2016 World Cup, trotting out the big stars, but representing Team USA were none other than James van Riemsdyk, Ryan McDonough and Saad.

Patrick Kane was nowhere to be found.

The unquestioned star of Team USA, and a man who was on his way to becoming perhaps the greatest American-born hockey player ever, was out of sight, though never far from the minds of NHL execs.

It's probably too simple to say they're distancing themselves from Kane. The NHL doesn't have any choice, lest the league be accused of promoting a player accused of sexual assault.

Now, the Hawks have to be concerned with precisely the same perception.

There is a court of law and there's a court of public opinion, and there is no mistaking the massive difference between the two, and the NHL and the Hawks have to fear a backlash.

Kane's appearance sends a message to the Chicago hockey community about what matters — and what doesn't.

Perhaps fearing a defamation suit by Kane, or a grievance from the NHLPA, the Hawks apparently felt like they had no choice but to allow Kane to skate under the circumstances.

That led to Thursday's news conference, which was pretty much a disaster from start to finish.

If only the league had a commissioner. He could have saved the Hawks the trouble.

brozner@dailyherald.com

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