Kane determined to play his way onto American Olympic team
Published
Patrick Kane is holding out hope he can play in one more Olympics.
The 36-year-old Detroit Red Wings forward, who'll be entering his 19th season in the NHL in 2025-26, is attending the United States Men’s Olympic Orientation Camp in Plymouth, Mich., this week alongside 40-plus other American hockey stars as the countdown to February's Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy heats up.
The 2026 Winter Games will be the first Olympics featuring NHL players since 2014 in Sochi, Russia.
It's been a long time since Kane wore American colours at a best-on-best hockey event after being left off last season's 4 Nations Face-Off roster.
Kane helped the United States earn silver at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver before finishing off the podium four years later in Russia. He also represented the United States at the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, the last best-on-best competition before the 4 Nations.
“The one thing that’s kind of missing is a gold in best-on-best, right?” Kane told NHL.com Tuesday. “It would be fun to have that opportunity.”
USA Hockey has grown considerably over the years and will be co-favourites alongside Canada to capture gold in Italy.
If Kane is going to be on Team USA this winter, he wants it to be because of the player he still is instead of his past accomplishments.
“I don’t want that to be a thing, either, where you’re getting selected for the team because of all that stuff,” Kane said. “You want to be selected for the player you are and what you can bring to the team.”
Kane, who has produced the third most points by an American behind Brett Hull and Mike Modano, scored 21 goals and 38 assists over 72 games last season, including 16 goals and 29 assists in the last 43 games of the season after head coach Derek Lalonde was replaced with Todd McLellan on Boxing Day.
Unfortunately for Kane, the hot streak came after the 4 Nations decision, leaving the veteran on the outside looking in.
“I didn’t really expect to make it just the way I was playing, with how many good American players there are. Definitely don’t want that to happen again where I’m in a situation where I’m not playing that great and you get left off because of that, right?" explained Kane.
“If you’re playing well and somebody else is playing well, and they take somebody else, well, you know, so be it. I put my best foot forward and I did all I could to try to make the team. I was happy that I finished well last year and kind of got myself back into maybe the conversation again, but we’ll see.”
In his career, the three-time Stanley Cup champion has recorded 492 goals and 851 assists over 1,302 games with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Red Wings. He owns 53 goals and 85 assists over 143 playoff games.
Helping the United States beat Canada on the biggest stage is something that drives the 2007 first-overall pick from Buffalo.
“Yeah, that’s all it is, is gold, and trying to get over the hump of Canada,” Kane said. “They’ve won the last two Olympics in best-on-best and the last two World Cups in best-on-best. Yeah, that’s what it’s all about, to win the gold.”
Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews, who captained the U.S. at the 4 Nations Face-Off, believes Kane still has plenty left to offer.
“To me, he’s the same guy I grew up watching, to be honest,” Matthews said. “I mean, you watch him play, the way that he controls the game, just the way he can see the ice. He makes plays. Not too many people can play the game like him and be successful. I think it just speaks volumes to his dedication that at his age right now he’s still a point-a-game guy. He’s still a leader and still gets it done. To me, he’s still one of my favorite players to watch.”
Detroit begins their pre-season on Sept. 23 with the opening game of the 2025-26 regular season scheduled for Oct. 9 against the visiting Montreal Canadiens.