Kane returns home tonight

As far as weekends go, they won't get much bigger than this for Patrick Kane.

When the Blackhawks' charter lands in Kane's hometown of Buffalo, N.Y., tonight, the rookie winger will complete a journey that began when he left home at 14 to pursue his hockey career.

Now, four years later, Kane returns to Buffalo on Saturday to play his first NHL game at HSBC Arena when the Hawks face a Sabres team Kane grew up idolizing.

"It's going to be cool," the 19-year-old Kane said.

And it's going to be cool for the approximately 150 family members and friends of Kane who plan to attend the game, including Kane's parents, Patrick Sr. and Donna, who made a lot of sacrifices so their son could play hockey.

Those sacrifices paid off in June when the Hawks made Kane the first pick in the draft, and the good times have continued with Kane leading all NHL rookies in scoring with 30 points almost halfway through the season.

The Kanes owned Sabres season tickets near the ice at the old Aud and at HSBC Arena, which afforded a young Patrick the close-up opportunity to watch and learn from NHL players on a regular basis.

Kane was such a big Sabres fan that his signature can be found on a steel beam at HSBC Arena for anyone who wants to look hard enough for it.

"My aunt, she was a councilwoman in Buffalo, so we got invited down, me and a couple of cousins," Kane said, recalling when the building was being constructed. "I remember going there with my blue Sabres (Dominik) Hasek jersey on, and I think I signed it next to (former team owner) Seymour Knox. It was pretty cool. It's up in the rafters. It was the last piece of steel to go up."

While Kane returning home is a big deal, the most important thing is Saturday's game and the Hawks getting 2 points out of it.

Hawks coach Denis Savard is excited for Kane but also wants his young star to get the proper rest and be focused on the drop of the puck.

"I've been through it, and I think he'll enjoy it," Savard said. "It's just not another game. If you think it's just another game, it's not. It's going to be a special night for him, and if you prepare well, you'll do well.

"There's going to be a lot of things, distractions and all that stuff. I want him to enjoy it and just prepare. Just like me when I went home for my first game, a lot of people want to see you, and you want to see a lot of them, too, but you've got a job."

Savard spent a quiet night with his parents when he returned home to Montreal to play in his first NHL game as a Hawks rookie in 1980-81.

"I was home with Mom and Dad, and that was it," Savard said. "I had a lot of friends that called and I wanted to see them, but I stayed home and had dinner with my parents, then went to the hotel and went to bed. That's the way to do it."

From the sound of it, Kane is going to have a similar night tonight.

"I'll probably just go to eat with my family and a couple friends," Kane said. "I'm going to try and get as much rest as possible, just turn my phone off in the hotel room and get to sleep. On Saturday, I'll just treat it as another game day and hope things go well."

Kane brings a 13-game goal-less streak home with him even though he remains one of the league leaders in assists with 23.

"Maybe it's what's meant to be; it would be awesome to get (a goal) there, but I'm trying not to think about it too much," Kane said. "It's tough, obviously, going home, but I'll definitely be prepared and make sure I have enough rest and be ready for the game."