Kane dreams of Olympic gold: The crowning achievement for his career?

Patrick Kane: Chasing Olympic Gold in his Nineteenth NHL Season

In his nineteenth season in the NHL, Patrick Kane has conquered almost everything: three Stanley Cups, a scoring title, the regular season MVP, and the playoffs MVP. However, there is one achievement that the 36-year-old player still yearns for: an Olympic gold medal.

I look at my career and what I’ve accomplished, and the only thing missing is gold in the best of the best. It would be fun to have that opportunity.
Patrick Kane

Kane, who will turn 37 in November, is at the top of his game, as he was one of 44 players invited by Team USA to its Olympic orientation camp this week in Plymouth, Michigan. The 2026 Milan Games will mark the first time in 12 years that the NHL sends players to the Olympics. Kane, now with the Detroit Red Wings after 16 years in Chicago, is looking for his third Olympic appearance; the winger was on the 2010 team in Vancouver (which won silver, after falling to Canada in an exciting gold medal game) and the 2014 team in Sochi. Several players have admitted that they are supporting Kane to be part of the team. Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin expressed the respect and admiration the team feels for Kane, highlighting his impact on the sport and on American hockey. However, Kane does not want to be selected based on past achievements or name recognition.

I don’t want that to be a factor, where you’re selected for the team because of all that. You want to be selected for the player you are now and what you can bring to the team now.
Patrick Kane

Team USA general manager Bill Guerin revealed that Kane was among the last and most difficult cuts for the Four Nations team. Guerin met personally with Kane on the ice in Detroit to deliver the news. Kane admitted his disappointment, but understood the decision, especially considering his performance in his first full season after hip resurfacing surgery, where he scored few goals in the early games. Kane acknowledged that he did not expect to be selected, considering the level of American players and his own performance at the time. His goal is to start the season strongly to increase his chances of being chosen. The arrival of Todd McLellan as coach of the Red Wings in December and the improvement in the team’s play gave Kane the confidence and playing time he needed. Kane closely followed the Four Nations tournament, showing his admiration for the high level of competition. Team USA has until early January to submit its roster for Milan. The Olympics allow for squads of 25 players, compared to the 23 allowed for the Four Nations. Kane and defenseman Ryan McDonough are the only survivors from the 2014 Olympic team who were invited to this week’s camp. The United States hasn’t won men’s Olympic gold since the famous “Miracle on Ice” team of 1980. Despite losing to Canada in the Four Nations final, the Americans are buoyed by recent success at the World Championship, where they took gold for the first time since 1933. Kane also has other milestones within reach this season: he is eight goals away from scoring his 500th career goal, 32 points away from surpassing Mike Modano as the second-highest U.S.-born player with points in the NHL, and 48 points away from Brett Hull as the all-time leader.

Meanwhile, Kane is tasked with helping the Red Wings break their nine-year playoff drought, the longest in franchise history. Kane signed a one-year contract with incentives in Detroit this summer, with a base salary of $3 million and up to $4 million in additional bonuses.