Patrick Kane
Patrick Kane was born in Buffalo, New York, and started his hockey career playing for the Cazenovia Chiefs in South Buffalo. He was drafted in the 5th round of the 2004 Ontario Hockey League Bantam Draft by the London Knights, but did not choose to play for the Knights until the 2006-2007 season. In 2005-2006, Kane played for the United States U-18 National Team Development Program (NTDP) where he led the team in scoring with 102 points. He started with the Knights the next season and wound up leading the OHL in scoring that year, posting 145 points in 58 games. Kane was drafted first overall in the 2007 NHL Entry draft, picked up by the Chicago Blackhawks. He made his NHL debut on October 4, 2007 against the Minnesota Wild, and had his first assist and first shootout goal two days later against Dominik Hasek of the Detroit Red Wings. Kane is a tremendously gifted player with excellent hockey sense. He sees the ice well and makes for an excellent playmaker. Kane also has great finishing skills and can put the puck away in most situations. He is the type of player that raises the bar for his linemates and will make a significant impact in the NHL. Kane does lack the size that he may need to make him a superstar. He also needs to work on his play without the puck, as some defensive gaffes may wind up costing him ice time in the future. Nonetheless, Kane is a star in the making and, with a little work, could be a major impact player in the NHL.
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