Kane Tried the Hard Sell, But Panarin Had L.A. on His Mind
Patrick Kane has always had a knack for creating magic on the ice-and sometimes off it, too. Just ask Alex DeBrincat.
A few years back, when Kane was weighing his NHL options, it was DeBrincat, his former linemate in Chicago, who helped convince him to join the Detroit Red Wings. It was a reunion that made sense: familiar faces, built-in chemistry, and a chance to reignite some of that Blackhawks-era firepower in a new city.
Fast forward to this season, and Kane found himself on the other side of that recruitment pitch. This time, he was the one doing the convincing, trying to pull another former Blackhawks linemate, Artemi Panarin, into the Red Wings fold. With Panarin on the move from the New York Rangers, Kane went all in-texting his old friend daily, hoping to recreate the electric duo that once lit up the United Center.
But Panarin? He wasn’t biting.
“Obviously, Patrick Kane was texting me like every day, probably,” Panarin said with a grin. And then, in classic Panarin fashion, he added with a laugh, “I just told him I hate him. That’s why I’m not coming to Detroit.”
Of course, the two are close friends, and the comment was all in good fun. But the message was clear: Detroit was never really in the running.
Kane and Panarin were a cheat code in Chicago-pure offensive artistry. Their chemistry was instant, their playmaking nearly telepathic.
When the Blackhawks traded Panarin to Columbus in 2017, Kane was visibly frustrated. That move broke up one of the league’s most dynamic pairings, and Kane never quite hid his disappointment.
So when the opportunity arose to potentially reunite in Detroit, it made perfect sense that he’d try to make it happen.
But the reality is, the Red Wings never had a shot.
Despite some fans questioning whether Detroit GM Steve Yzerman could’ve made a better offer to the Rangers, the truth is that Panarin had already made up his mind. The decision wasn’t about trade packages or cap space-it was about where Panarin wanted to be.
“This was the only place I wanted to go,” Panarin said, speaking about his move to Los Angeles. “I just want to play for this organization.”
He made it clear that if L.A. wasn’t an option, he likely would’ve returned to Russia rather than suit up for a team he wasn’t fully committed to.
That’s the kind of clarity you don’t often see in today’s NHL. Players weigh a lot-contracts, rosters, lifestyle, legacy.
But for Panarin, it came down to one thing: playing in a place he truly wanted to be. And that place was Los Angeles.
So while Kane’s recruiting pitch didn’t land this time, it’s hard to fault the effort. He saw an opportunity to bring back a little of that old Blackhawks magic, and he went for it. But Panarin had his sights set on the West Coast-and once he made up his mind, there was no turning back.