Detroit's Patrick Kane Eyes Final Olympic Run with Team USA in 2026
With the 2026 Winter Olympics on the horizon, Patrick Kane is making it clear: he’s not chasing a farewell tour but a gold medal.
The 36-year-old NHL veteran has his sights set on cracking the U.S. Olympic roster one final time, understanding this may be his last opportunity to compete at the sport’s highest international level. Kane was among the players invited to Team USA's orientation camp this week, a preliminary step in assembling the squad for the upcoming Games in Milan-Cortina.
“Winning gold in a best-on-best tournament is something that’s missing from my career,” Kane told NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika. “It would be fun to have that opportunity.”
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Kane’s international résumé includes appearances in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, but the only medal to show for it is silver from Vancouver. Despite a decorated career that includes three Stanley Cups and multiple individual awards, Kane remains motivated to add international gold to his trophy case.
Notably, he was left off the U.S. roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off last February but remains an impact player with nearly 60 points last season, including a season-ending hot streak in which he posted 45 points over the final 43 games.
“I don’t want to be picked because of what I’ve done in the past,” Kane explained as he wants to make the team based on performance “You want to be selected because of what you bring now.”
Detroit recently brought back Kane on a one-year, $3 million deal, where he’ll continue his pursuit of several major milestones like scoring his 500th career goal and surpassing Mike Modano as the highest-scoring American player in NHL history as he needs just eight goals and 32 points, respectively, to reach those marks.
“If I play well and someone else gets the nod, that’s part of it,” he said. “But I’ll know I did everything I could.”
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From the sounds of it, Kane is motivated more than ever and could lead to another stellar season from the Buffalo native as he enters his 19th NHL season.
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