Kane's parents grateful to Blackhawks as whirlwind continues
For the parents of the Blackhawks' Patrick Kane, what their son is doing as a 19-year-old rookie in the NHL hasn't completely sunk in yet.
"We've told a couple people that it's like we're still just going to watch him play hockey like we've always done," mom Donna Kane said.
Except now the Kanes are going to places such as the United Center, Joe Louis Arena and Air Canada Centre instead of the local rinks.
When the Hawks played the Red Wings on Nov. 11 at the UC, the Kanes brought friends with them to watch the game.
"We were walking around and we saw all these people with No. 88 Kane jerseys on," Donna Kane said. "My friend said, 'Don't you want to just say, hey, that's my son?' I laughed and told her no, that it's probably better not to."
The Kanes try to see Pat play as often as possible, and have driven from their home in Buffalo, N.Y., to watch the Hawks in Chicago, Toronto, Detroit and Columbus. What they've seen is their son lead all rookies in scoring and become the early leader for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
"For the last five years we've watched Pat play in various programs and hold his own," Patrick Kane Sr. said. "To see him do it at this level is a little surprising, but we always expect Pat to hit the score sheet every night. We're used to that."
While Kane might be on his way to being a star in the NHL, he's still his parents' teenage son who does goofy things most teenagers do.
"The other day he called us and asked if we knew where his hat was," Patrick Kane Sr. said. "He's in Chicago and we're in Buffalo.
"When we come to town to see him, his mom does his laundry and I'll go fill his car up with gas or go to the drugstore to buy toothpaste for him. Our whole life we've wanted Pat to focus on hockey, and we've been more than happy to do those small things for him. The day he pushes us away is going to be a sad day for us."
The Kanes are thrilled that Patrick is living with Hawks assistant general manager Stan Bowman and are grateful to the organization for making sure their son is taken care of in such a way.
"When (GM) Dale Tallon flew us into town for the first time, he told us his phone was open 24-7," Patrick Kane Sr. said. "I didn't expect that from a general manager of an NHL team. That was special to me. Everybody said they were going to take care of Pat, and they have."
The Kanes know their son better than anyone and say the kind of player he has shown to be with the Hawks is what they've been watching for years.
"He's a hard worker with an unbelievable amount of determination," Donna Kane said. "When he plays, he wants to be the man out there every night."