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| Yes | 36% | 14 votes | Total: 39 votes | |
| No | 64% | 25 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesThe era of Patrick Kane has officially started in Chicago. The NHL's 1st pick over all signed a three year contract with the Blackhawk's on July 25, 2007. Dubbed as a "young and exciting player" by Chicago's GM Dale Tallon, this eighteen year old had an outstanding season last year for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. Kane scored an electrifying 62 goals in just 58 games for the Knights, and added 83 assists to his offensive totals. His performance earned him Rookie of the Year honors, and he was runner up for the league's MVP Award as well.
While big things were expected from Patrick when the Knights took a chance on him with a 5th round selection a year earlier, not even the team's front office could foresee that he would come in and lead the OHL in scoring. Helped by having great chemistry on the Knight's line he played on, and getting a big boost of confidence from his outstanding performance at the World Junior Championship, Kane took off in January and never looked back.
Despite his fantastic season in the OHL, one might wonder how this 5-10, 160 pound American born player will perform in the rough and tumble world of the NHL. Yet, while he may be small by NHL standards, one only needs to look at the career of another American born player of similar height, build, and name, Pat Lafontaine, to gain a proper perspective on what Kane may go on to accomplish in the NHL. Like Lafontaine before him, who played for the U.S. Olympic team, Patrick Kane honed his skills playing for the United States National Team Development Program.
Kane who grew up in Buffalo watching the Sabre's team that Pat played on in the late 90's, is blessed with some of the same skills and attributes on the ice as Lafontaine. He combines dazzling puck-handling abilities and great vision with amazing quickness and a knack for finishing an attack by putting the puck in the net. Patrick also possesses the ability to slow down the tempo of a game and patiently wait for a scoring opportunity to open up before him. Like Lafontaine, he anticipates the play well and is able to get the puck to the open man.
Though he still has some work to do on the defensive end of the ice, as well as work on his over all strength, no one doubts that this ultra competitive kid will be up to the task. Add to it the fact that the game has changed and the rules now favor a more wide open style of play and you begin to see why Patrick Kane was made the first pick overall in 2007. In time we may see his career reach the same heights as Pat Lafontaine's, a man who went on to score over 460 goals in the NHL, and one who is considered one of the greatest American born players to play the game.
Learn more about this author, Rolando Cruz.
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No
Growing up on Long Island in the 80's, I saw first hand the amazing talent of Pat Lafontaine. I am a Rangers fan but I still watched him and his Islanders team. Lafontaine had the skill level of Mario Lemieux, unfortunately he didn't have Mario's size or reach. If he did, he would almost assuredly have put up numbers comparable to Mario.
Lafontaine came to the NHL after the 1984 winter Olympics. He came to an Islander team that was coming off four straight Stanley cups. He joined Denis Potvin, Mike Bossy and Billy Smith in the Isles strive for five. They came up short that year losing to Gretzky's Oilers in five games but an NHL star was born.
After seven wonderful years on Long Island, Lafontaine was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 1991. Buffalonians were able to see first hand what an amazing hockey player he was. He battled severe concussion problems that limited his stay in Buffalo. In 1998, the New York Rangers took a chance on Lafontaine knowing any blow to his head would end his career. To everyone's shock and dismay, Lafontaine collided with teammate Mike Keane at center ice causing another concussion and his career to end. It was a sad ending for one of the classiest people to ever put on an NHL sweater.
In order for Patrick Kane to be mentioned in the same breath as Pat Lafontaine, he must match Lafontaine's class as well as his skill. Kane can play, there is no question about it. He may someday put up numbers comparable to Lafontaine but he has a long way to go to match Lafontaine's dignity and heart.
The majority of pro athletes in all sports have a me-first mentality. Guaranteed contracts and endorsement deals mean more to them than anything. It's way too early to see if Kane is one of these modern athletes or if he is a gentleman like Lafontaine. Lafontaine set a standard of generosity and selflessness that very few athletes come close to.
Kane, along with Sydney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and a few others are trying to lead the NHL back to prominence in the US. These players have skill and personality that make them marketable. The NHL's ratings are up because of these young studs. We can only hope they learn from players like Pat Lafontaine and continue his legacy of humility and generosity.
If the NHL had a DR. Frankenstein, he would create a player with Gretzky's skill, Lemieux's talent, Orr's creativity and Lafontaine's class. With all due respect to Patrick Kane, he is far, far away from receiving an accolade like that.
Learn more about this author, Jeffrey Weinstein.
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