Kane still performing at high level for Red Wings after hip surgery

DETROIT -- Patrick Kane could feel satisfied. He is headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame with three Stanley Cup rings, MVP trophies from the regular season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and more.

Yet here he is at 36, skating on a surgically repaired hip, still living up to his nickname: “Showtime.” The forward has 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in his past 13 games for the Detroit Red Wings, including an assist in a 3-0 win against the Vegas Golden Knights at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday. Detroit (32-29-6) is two points out of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

“I just think that he loves playing hockey still,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said. “He comes and he wants to play, and he wants the puck and he wants it to make plays. Does it always go perfect? No. But he can’t wait to get back on the ice again, and that excitement to play remains there in a player that could just say, ‘I’m full. I’ve got my Cups. I’m going to the Hall of Fame.’ He knows that. We all know that. [He could say] ‘I’m secure in my life.’ But the hunger’s still there.”

It has become easy to forget that Kane had hip resurfacing surgery June 1, 2023. He had a hip impingement, grinding bone on bone, so the femoral head was trimmed and capped with metal, while the socket was cleaned out and replaced with a metal shell. No hockey player had ever come back from that and excelled.

After Detroit signed Kane to a one-year contract Nov. 28, 2023, Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said, “How effective he’s going to be remains to be seen, but based on his health and his testing, I think he has a chance to be very effective.” Kane said his motivation was “the love and passion for the game, still wanting to play.”

Kane had 47 points (20 goals, 27 assists) in 50 games last season and signed another one-year contract with Detroit on June 30. He has 46 points (17 goals, 29 assists) in 56 games this season. Twice, he sat out for a five-game stretch, but each time it was with an upper-body injury, not because of the hip.

He said he was pain-free last season, but the hip didn’t feel like his own. This season, it has felt more natural.

“It’s less treatment, more stuff in the gym, more working on being more fluid and explosive,” Kane said. “I’ve still got to take care of it and do what you need to do, but it’s just like anyone else with their body, right? It definitely feels like my own now, and it feels like it’s part of me.”

Although Kane always has been known more for his hands and hockey sense than his skating, McLellan said, “There’s some pop in his legs.” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said he doesn’t think about the hip when he watches Kane.

“He’s the first guy to bounce back from an operation like that, and I’m not surprised because he takes care of himself so well [and because of] his passion for the game and just how dialed in he is,” Larkin said.

A coaching change has helped this season. Kane had 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 29 games before Detroit hired McLellan on Dec. 26. He has 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 28 games since, fourth on the Red Wings.

“Obviously, sometimes when there’s a coaching change, the game plan changes a little bit too,” Kane said. “Before, I think we were maybe on our heels a little bit, played more of a safer game, didn’t really want to make many mistakes. Now we’re playing more aggressive, more up the ice [as a five-man unit]. It just kind of suits my game a little better.”

The power play has been key. Kane has 18 power-play points since Dec. 26, tied for the most in the NHL with teammate Lucas Raymond and Utah Hockey Club forward Clayton Keller. He has eight power-play goals, second in the NHL to Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (10). The Red Wings are 34.7 percent on the power play in this span, best in the NHL.

Kane said the Red Wings have stuck with the same first unit, allowing the players to develop chemistry. Raymond said Kane sees the ice differently than maybe anyone else.

“It’s about finding open ice and [trusting] that he finds the spot that makes sense,” Raymond said. “He’s a huge part of our power play, not just with his scoring touch but setting up plays and obviously off the ice as well. His insight there is big.”

Kane often comes up big in big moments, and he continues to be at his best when has time and space to show off his skill -- on the power play, in overtime, in the shootout. Since his Detroit debut Dec. 7, 2023, he has 13 game-winning goals, three off the lead and tied for sixth in the NHL; five OT goals, two off the lead and tied for third in the NHL; and four shootout goals, three off the lead and tied for seventh in the NHL.

With 1,330 points (488 goals, 842 assists) in 1,287 games, he has a chance to become the highest scoring American in NHL history. He ranks third behind two other legends who played for Detroit late in their careers: Brett Hull, who had 1,391 points (741 goals, 650 assists) in 1,269 games, and Mike Modano, who had 1,374 points (561 goals, 813 assists) in 1,499 games.

Even now, Kane is often on the ice after practice, doing extra work. Red Wings linemate Alex DeBrincat has watched him do that since they played together for the Chicago Blackhawks from 2017-22.

“It kind of helped me realize to not be satisfied with just being in the NHL,” DeBrincat said. “You want to be the best. I think he’s a great leader in that way. He’s going to do everything he can to be better. He wants to be the best one on the ice at all times. Whether it’s in practice or in a game, he’s super competitive and wants to be the guy.”