Patrick Kane will go down as one of the NHL's greatest players ever, and he has the career achievements to back it up. Stanley Cups, MVP awards, World Junior Championship gold medals -- you name it, he's done it.
But the Olympic Games is still the only tournament where Kane has yet to be showered in gold. However, with one last shot at the Olympics on the horizon, Kane could finally add a gold medal to his never-ending trophy cabinet.
The hockey world has been deprived of 'best-on-best' hockey in the Olympics ever since 2014, the home of the Winter Games in Sochi and the last time Kane and fellow NHLers appeared at the Olympics. Although, receiving a call up to the USA's preliminary Olympic training camp roster, the 36-year-old will likely have his final shot at representing his nation on the world stage once again, but he will have some serious work cut out for him.
Scoring 59 points in a 72 games campaign wasn't bad for an ageing Kane, and was a step forward following his hip surgery back in July of 2023, just prior to him joining Detroit, and another improvement on the season, including some flashes of seriously good hockey could maybe be enough to swing himself a spot on the Olympic roster.
Nevertheless, it is a reality that there are definitely spots to be won on the USA roster, with the likes of Chris Kreider, Vincent Trocheck, and Brock Nelson all battling to retain their spots in the lineup following the 4 Nations Face-Off. A skyrocket in his game to start the season by Kane could mean his name is 100% in the hat.
Although Kane will be aiming to beat out younger talent such as Logan Cooley, Frank Nazar, Cole Caufield, and Matthew Knies for a spot on the roster, his veteran presence, ability to play on the world stage, and former leadership roles he once had on the USA teams mean a whole lot more than just good performances on the ice.
Even as an extra guy, or a guy who plays a handful of shifts per period, Kane is a great asset to have. He is one of the only players who knows the USA program inside and out, and has played best-on-best Olympic hockey before. He has a lot of challenges ahead of him, and with youth and speed not being on his side anymore, so it will be a big uphill climb. But ruling out Olympic gold hope isn't in the cards yet for Patrick Kane, and his name is in the pot for more than a few good reasons.