When it comes to the return of a Chicago sports legend with another team, it can be gut wrenching. It happens everywhere in sports throughout the globe because very few players stay with the one team their entire career. Michael Jordan wearing a Washington Wizards costume at the end. Frank Thomas wearing gold and green of the Oakland Athletics while hitting that home run in his return home to White Sox park. On Sunday, Patrick Kane, wearing the Detroit Red Wings sweater, returned to the United Center to play his former team, the Blackhawks. The crowd gave him a standing ovation after a video tribute by the Blackhawks during the first time out of the game. Kane was like a rock star as he did three encores to the center of the ice waving at the old home faithful. At the end, it was Kane that put the Blackhawks on ice with the game winner in over time.

Patrick Kane scored the over time goal in game six of the 2010 Stanley Cup finals versus the Philadelphia Flyers that ended a 49 year drought for the Chicago Blackhawks. The puck found its way past goalie Michael Leighton of the Flyers and Kane knew it was a goal while everyone else in the rink and watching it on television was not sure what had happened. Then Kane, nicknamed “Show Time” starts celebrating and it was confirmed Blackhawks won it all. Kane was drafted number one overall in the 2007 NHL draft and was a key player that helped bring the Blackhawks franchise out of the dark ages. Kane would play 16 seasons in Chicago and help them win three cups. The 4X all-star scored 446 regular season goals while dishing out 779 assists for a total 1,225 points in 1,161 games. He was traded to the New York Rangers last season at the deadline as the Blackhawks went into a rebuild. He left Chicago number two all-time in points, number three all-time in goals, and 2nd in assists all-time. Kane then became a free agent, had hip resurfacing surgery in the off-season, and then signed with the Red Wings in November. This to team up with his former Blackhawks teammate, Alex DeBrincat.

On the night the Chicago Blackhawks welcomed back Patrick Kane for the first time since he was traded away, it wasn’t the only thing happening. The Blackhawks were honoring one of their 1990’s star defensemen, Chris Chelios. Chelios was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013. On this night, the team was raising number 7, Chelios’ jersey, into the rafters of the United Center. No player will be able to wear number 7 as it’s forever retired by the Blackhawks organization. Chelios grew up in Chicago and knows Patrick Kane was born in Buffalo, New York. Chelios in the ceremony as the Red Wings players watched everything unfold, said to Kane that he will go down as the best American-born player of all-time. Besides playing professional hockey for the Blackhawks and being born in the same state, they both have another thing in common. They both have played for the Red Wings. The hated rival. Cheli chimed in on that as well.

“That jersey looks kind of funny Kaner, but it’ll grow on you and don’t worry, it’ll work out.In the end. You’ll be standing here same as me.”

Patrick Kane at 35 years old will have his jersey retired by the Blackhawks some day as number 88 will hang high at the United Center. Kane has accomplished more than Chelios wearing the Indian sweater as he won three cups in Chicago. Chelios won his elsewhere. We know a few Blackhawks like Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews out of the game at this time will get their honors sooner than number 88. Kane’s break away goal in overtime last night was his 12th of the year for the Red Wings. Kane was ecstatic yelling “Show Time” with his arms in the air as the home crowd on this night were cheering for the enemy in the Red Wings jersey.

We Blackhawks fans saw those16 years which went by like a summer breeze. The Red Wings are a young team and right now in the thick of things as they trying to hold on to a wild card spot to make it to post-season. Remember Marian Hossa being that savvy veteran player helping the young Blackhawks of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The Red Wings are playing well and some teams will not want to face this team especially with Kane finding his groove back. He has 12 goals & 16 assists for 28 points as he only played in 27 games so far. He’s averaging a point a game for Detroit. The Blackhawks do not face their old rival that many times like these two teams used to be in the same division and square off about a dozen times each season. We don’t know how many times we’ll see Kane back at the UC since you play some teams only twice a season. We don’t know where he will be playing next year. My guess is still with this Red Wings team. It’s a shame the Blackhawks could not build around Kane. The team has a new Kaner, the exciting Connor Bedard, as the torch has officially been passed. Hopefully the organization can learn from this, keep a solid core around Bedard for years to come, and not have to drive down these tough reunion roads that are hard to swallow. Some players should not have to wear the Red Wings duds or the Wizards costume. Chicago legends just don’t look good dressing in the enemy colors with another city’s logo pasted on front. It is sports and this is the nature of the beast at times. For one more night, it was magical with Patrick Kane stealing the show & going out with a bang in this first reunion in Chicago. Let’s make his next reunion night his Indian sweater going up in the United Center rafters, so we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Reunions most of the time are for suckers.