If you are a Chicago Blackhawks fan, you are screaming bloody murder hearing the news Patrick Kane of signing with the Detroit Red Wings. The arch rival Red Wings are not even in the Blackhawks division anymore with the realignment of all the divisions years ago. The Red Wings as a hockey team have been non-relevant for years now. The Red Wings wearing red and white sweaters looked similar to the hated Russian teams as they were the New York Yankees of the NHL collecting the top talent of the league. Suddenly the Red Wings are coming back to life in part due to some added Blackhawks blood that just makes any Chicago fan’s blood boil. In the off-season, the Red Wings acquired another former Blackhawks scorer Alex DeBrincat, “The Cat,” in a trade with the Ottawa Senators. Now Kaner, with many teams interested, selected the Red Wings to skate alongside an old teammate & friend from 2017-22. After recovering from hip resurfacing surgery, Kaner will get a one year deal from Detroit for 2.75 million to see if he can help the dreaded Wings back to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Kane, who was a trade to the Rangers last year, now will be wearing the Red Wings sweater. He now has three original six sweaters in the league at the age of 35.

The Blackhawks unloaded Patrick Kane in his final year of his contract to the Rangers in a three team deal also involving the Arizona Coyotes. The Blackhawks are rebuilding and Patrick Kane was no longer part of the future. Bothered by the hip last year, Kane’s numbers with the Rangers were decent – in 19 games he had 5 goals & 7 assists for 12 points. Kane had 45 points in 54 games with the Blackhawks. The Rangers wanted Kane for the playoff run, but that did not go well as New York was knocked out in round one. Kane is a three time Stanley Cup winner all with the Blackhawks where he was drafted and played his entire career except those 19 games with New York. He leaves Chicago 2nd all-time in points in team history. He collected major hardware wearing the number 88 on the Indian Head sweater. In 2013, he won the Conn-Smythe trophy which was MVP in the playoffs. In the 2015-16 season, Kane won the Hart Trophy as he was MVP of the NHL with 106 points that year. Kane was born in the United States. He ranks second all-time in points among U.S. born players lacing up the skates in the NHL. In 2017, Kane was part of the 100 greatest players of all-time making the NHL Centennial Celebration.

In 1999, the Blackhawks traded a 37 year old defensemen to the Detroit Red Wings. Chris Chelios, born and raised in the Chicagoland area, swore he’d never play for the Red Wings while he wore the Indian Head. Chelios obviously could not control being traded. It was after the trade that left salt in the wounds of Blackhawks fans. Why would your organization trade with the arch enemy? Chelios would help the Red Wings win two Stanley Cups. The Chelios family business, Cheli’s Chili Bar closed down and moved to Detroit, like some kid taking his bat and going home. Chelios would have words about his former organization. Which is expected. Then when he did return to Chicago with Cup in hand, he was visiting the north side baseball team called the Cubs. He grew up on the south side – that’s how much he’s messed up inside the head taking the Red Wings Cup to Wrigley. He definitely irked his old fan base. Everything is forgiven as the Blackhawks will retire Chelios’ number this upcoming February and just in time for the arrival of Patrick Kane and the Detroit Red Wings. Good times at the old United Center on that night.

The Chicago/Detroit connection as players turn traitor on their former team, has gone on for years and has worked well for both cities. The Blackhawks and Red Wings have shared the two top enforcers in the game.

Bob Probert started his career wearing the Red Wings sweater for 9 seasons he played in Detroit before 7 seasons in Chicago. The Grim Reaper Stu Grimson played 3 years in each city and went on to beat up players in other towns wearing their sweaters. The White Sox outfielder Chet Lemon would leave Chicago and helped the Tigers win a World Series in 1984. The Chicago Detroit connection has worked in Chicago’s favor as well. The Blackhawks added the one piece they needed for their three recent Stanley Cups signing Marian Hossa away from the Red Wings when he became a free agent after helping Detroit get to the Stanley Cup finals. Then the Chicago Bulls landed Dennis Rodman in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs. Rodman would help the Bulls win three more championships to complete the six pack.

It would have been nice to have Patrick Kane still skating in Chicago playing with up-and-coming future superstar of the NHL, Connor Bedard. I would love to still have Alex DeBrincat skating for the Blackhawks. If Kane and DeBrincat were still skating all these years with the Blackhawks, we may have not landed the young talent of Bedard. The Red Wings are a young team. They are off to a pretty good start this season with a record of 12-7-3, which means they are 4th in the Atlantic division. Kane picked the Red Wings because of the talent and skating once again with DeBrincat. Kane is not expected to be the savior of the Red Wings, but a veteran who can help this team get to the next level. If Kane went home to Buffalo and played for the Sabres, another team on the verge of getting back to post-season, he may have had to be the savior for that team being born and raised in Western New York. I know some players you never want to see wear certain jerseys. This signing would sting more if Detroit was still in the Blackhawks conference and playing each other a dozen times a year. These days, you play the other conference teams twice a season. The Blackhawks traded Kane away. They also traded away DeBrincat. It’s been going on for decades – no loyalty between player and ownership in all sports. In a few years when Kane finally hangs up the skates for good and when the Blackhawks hang his jersey up in the United Center rafters like Chris Chelios, everything will be forgotten by most fans and it will be about all the good memories we had of that player wearing the Indian Head. It’s only a one year deal for Kane in Detroit. He still has time to get three more original six sweaters after Detroit if he signs one year deals the rest of the way. The Maple Leafs, Bruins, and the Canadians. Has any player ever gotten all six in their career? Maybe Kane will be the first ever to add to the hockey legacy.