How the Blackhawks made Patrick Kane get defensive

TAMPA – Patrick Kane, by his own admission, wasn’t what you’d call a “complete player” when he entered the NHL in 2007.

The London Knights, his junior team, has a slightly offensive emphasis for its star players: Kane had 145 points in 58 games, one of three players who had over 100 points that season.

So while John Hines, newly hired by the New Jersey Devils as head coach, did his best to get Kane to play a two-way game while playing in the USA Hockey development system, the transition from the goal-happy Knights to the NHL wasn’t always a smooth one from a defensive aspect.

This isn’t exactly breaking news: Goal-scoring wingers are paid to score goals on the wing. Young centers have to play a full 200 feet. Young wingers like Kane aren’t held to the same standard, but eventually, they have to become all-around players (at least in theory).

Fact is, while Kane has been one of the NHL’s must dynamic offensive players, he’s only gotten comfortable on the defensive end within the last five years. Again, by his own admission, he got “a lot better” defensively between his first Stanley Cup win in 2010 and his second in 2013, when he captured the Conn Smythe.

“First couple years was a work in progress,” said Coach Joel Quenneville.

How did he crack the code? By having the right coach and teammates as an influence.

“I think Quenneville’s been huge for my all-around game as far as being able to strip pucks and get pucks back and be able to be more comfortable defensively,” he said.

Quenneville said it was an easy sell to Kane: 'You’re at your best when you have the puck, and we need you to play ‘D’ if you want to get the puck back from the other team.'

“I think not just relying on his linemates to be the guy to get the puck back has been something he's really worked at,” he said of Kane. “Playing in his own end, as comfortable as any guy in his own zone, playing without the puck as any forward we have on our team.”

But a coach can only say so much to get through to a player. Kane said watching his teammates excel on defense was equally as important to his maturation.

“Watching guys like [Jonathan] Toews and [Marian] Hossa strip pucks, you learn a lot from just watching them, too. I think Hossa’s probably underrated, probably one of the best two-way guys in the league, along with Toews,” he said.

“We’re kind of spoiled here, we get to watch guys do that and when you see a guy like Marian Hossa back check and strip someone from behind and go back the other way and give you a good offensive chance, you want to learn from that and be able to do it too. Pretty special.”

Toews and Hossa are both accomplished offensive players. Another thing Kane learned from them: How star players can inspire others by paying attention to defensive details.

“I think when you’re maybe an offensive player and you do that, sometimes it shows your teammates that ‘Hey, this guy can do it, why can’t I as well?’” said Kane. “I think you see that more and more in the game today. It seems like everyone’s pretty well-rounded in this day and age.”

And some are more well-rounded than others. Like, the one seeking its third Stanley Cup in six seasons, for example.