The Chicago Blackhawks were dumped from the postseason after just one round this year, and with the early exit from the playoffs, the team can get a head start on their training for next year.
For star winger Patrick Kane, that training and recuperating usually takes place in his hometown of Buffalo, but this offseason, the forward is sticking around Chicago.
Whether or not it was Kane’s choice is unclear. Here’s how Mark Lazerus of the Chicago-Sun Times described the decision:
“A source says the team wanted Kane to stay in Chicago for the summer, to keep his focus on hockey and to keep him away from any potential trouble back home. Through a spokesperson, Kane and the team said it was purely Kane’s decision.”
In an interview with reporters at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas, Kane didn’t elaborate on the decision to stay in Chicago this summer, but he did reveal that one particular athlete is inspiring him to work hard for next year.
“It’s been a lot of fun watching LeBron (James) do what he did in the Finals, and you can kind of take motivation from that, too – how hard he’s worked and what he’s done for his career,” Kane said. “He’s a player too, that has had a lot of critics and a lot of people that maybe you could call haters or whatever, and he’s silenced them.”
