Of course it is a special when any player finishes a win with 2 goals and an assist, but for Patrick Kane that wasn’t even the start of it. The Blackhawks’ young star found out that his dear friend, and grandfather, had passed away a few hours before the puck dropped in Los Angeles on Monday night. Kane broke down in tears during his postgame locker room interview and explained to NHL.com how much his grandfather meant to him and how pleased he was to be able to honor him by playing well.
“Tough day overall,” Kane said. “He was one of my great friends growing up, and [it’s] just a really sad day. It was important to get the win, but anytime you get someone taken away from you that’s so close, that means so much – it’s tough to hear that right before the game.
“He lived next door to me my whole childhood. We’d do things like play cards and hang out by the pool throughout the summers. He came to a lot of my hockey games, but more importantly, for him, he was worried about grades and being a good kid. It was a tough day, for sure.”
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