DETROIT — Alex DeBrincat still can’t get over Patrick Kane in a New York Rangers jersey.

He recognized that is somewhat hypocritical considering Kane now wears a Detroit Red Wings jersey, but DeBrincat acknowledged his Detroit bias.

“When I see a picture of him in a Rangers jersey, it still looks kind of weird,” DeBrincat said after a recent Red Wings practice. “I think the Wings jersey suits him a little bit better, at least in my mind. When you think of Patrick Kane, it was with the Blackhawks. I think him having that legacy there, I think for years to come it’s still going to be weird (to see) him in another jersey, but we’re happy to have him here.”

It hasn’t even been a calendar year since Kane was traded away from the Chicago Blackhawks following 16 years with the organization, but it does feel less odd as Kane is already onto his second team since departing.

While he and Blackhawks fans have had some time to become accustomed to him playing elsewhere, his return to Chicago for the first time has been highly anticipated since his departure. That was going to be the case regardless of when he was traded, but the fact he and the Blackhawks fans never had an opportunity to truly say goodbye last season makes it even more significant. He wasn’t given the major United Center sendoff that Jonathan Toews received at the end of last season.

Philipp Kurashev, who played three seasons with Kane, could only imagine what Sunday at the United Center was going to be like.

“I think it’s going to be one of the best games, best regular-season games probably of all time, I guess,” Kurashev said. “Him coming back and the (Chris) Chelios (retirement) night is the same night. I can’t wait for that video tribute. It’s going to be awesome to see him back. I’m looking forward to the game, for sure.”

The Blackhawks’ newest star, Connor Bedard, was also already imagining the video tribute when asked Tuesday about Kane’s return to Chicago. Bedard grew up watching Kane’s highlights.

“I think it’s going to be pretty nasty,” the 18-year-old Bedard said. “He had some sick highlights here. I’ve watched every one of his mix tapes probably 100 times, with his stuff. I’m pumped for that.”

Toews may never have missed Patrick Kane as much as he did in his final home with the Blackhawks.

Everything about Toews’ farewell was perfect last season, except there were so few teammates Toews had spent a significant amount of time with in Chicago. There was no Kane, Duncan Keith, Marian Hossa and down the line.

“(Toews) was saying he wished I was there and some of the guys on our teams that won were there for his last game because it’s almost like a celebration,” Kane said.

And now Toews anticipates Kane will feel the same way as returns to the United Center. Toews will be watching Sunday’s game, but it’ll be from afar, not on the opposite bench.

Jonathan Toews, left, always admired former Blackhawks teammate Patrick Kane’s “calm demeanor.” (Keith Gillett / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“I’ll definitely tune in,” Toews wrote in a text on Tuesday. “I’m sure it’ll be strange to be back in that building with hardly any former teammates to play against. I hope he enjoys the night, I’m sure he’ll get an unbelievable reaction from the fans.”

It took Toews a few minutes to get used to seeing Kane in a different jersey, too, but it’s been normalized for him as well.

“I think it was strange at first but now it’s not as weird,” Toews wrote. “He was as loyal as you can be to the Blackhawks, so I think in talking to him I think it was inspiring to get a new start. It looks like he’s playing hard and having a lot of fun right now.”

It’s the type of fun Kane and Toews used to have on the ice. Toews appreciated so much about playing with Kane for all those years.

“I’ve always admired his calm demeanor,” Toews wrote. “Nothing rattles him, he doesn’t show much, he keeps it pretty still on the surface. He’s such an intelligent and observant person, he’s always paying attention and taking it all in. I’d say his personality reflects how he plays, he can be real quiet and still but he knows when to speak. I’d say his timing on the ice is pretty good, too, haha.”

Asked if he had anything to add about Kane, Toews wrote, “I’m happy to see him healthy after his injury, hope he can keep playing as long and as well as he wants. It’s strange to think we were on this crazy ride in Chicago for so long but at the same time it all went by in the blink of an eye.”

When I visited Kane in Detroit recently, his mind wasn’t really on his Chicago return just yet. It was still a few weeks out and he was just getting back from an injury. But he assumed Blackhawks fans would make it special for him. That connection with the fans and the city will always be there for him.

But as Toews mentioned, there will likely be a sort of strangeness for Kane coming back, like someone returning to an old home that is now occupied by a new family. A lot of changes have come to the Blackhawks in recent years, but there will be even fewer familiar faces when he enters the United Center. Even just last year, Kane still had Toews there and Toews is now gone. And Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz’s death marks even further change to the franchise.

Not to say that’s good or bad, but these aren’t the Blackhawks that Kane knew. Outside of Kurashev, MacKenzie Entwistle and a few other players, Kane doesn’t have much of a tie to the current roster. The player he’ll have the greatest connection with from the Blackhawks come Sunday will be the one he’s teammates with now on the Red Wings — DeBrincat.

“If you look at the organization, so much has changed from the owner to the GM,” Kane said. “Obviously, Luke (Richardson) was there last year, but even like the players, like that wasn’t the guys I came up with. I know a lot of the training staff, equipment staff is still there, and it’ll be fun to see some of those guys and some of the guys on the team as well. Obviously, the fans are the fans in the United Center and the jersey, but it almost seems like a different organization in some ways.”

Kane thought there would be more time last year to bid farewell to the Blackhawks fans. He didn’t expect the home game on Feb. 21 to be his last in Chicago. He didn’t even talk to the media after that game. He assumed he’d still be playing for the Blackhawks when their next home game came around. But the trade between the Blackhawks and Rangers materialized quicker than anticipated and he was gone just like that. The last public image of him as a Blackhawks player was when the team filmed him departing the hotel in San Jose before he boarded a plane to Chicago.

“It wasn’t the most thrilling thing to see the camera in your face coming down for like a 6 a.m. flight, but, you know, it is what it is and, like I said, it was kind of a day-to-day situation,” Kane said.

Kane also wasn’t positive he’d waive his no-trade clause. His hip was bothering him, and he wasn’t sure exactly what he could give another team. He considered playing out the season with the Blackhawks, undergoing hip surgery in the offseason and then potentially signing somewhere as a free agent the following season.

At that point, Kane also hadn’t closed the door on re-signing with the Blackhawks again.

“If they came to me and said, ‘We want you to be a Blackhawk for life. Can we work something out?’ I think it probably would have been tough to say no, just because of what happened there and the success we had and just the relationship with the organization,” Kane said.

That didn’t happen and Kane permitted a trade to the Rangers. He wasn’t sure how he’d feel leaving Chicago, but he’s found positives in removing himself from his comfort zone.

“Being there for a long time and kind of being comfortable in the situation and just kind of what you do on a day-to-day basis, there’s definitely some comfort in that,” Kane said. “But I think it’s been good for me to have some new experiences. And even though it didn’t go as well as I’d hoped in New York, I still thought that was a great experience for me. Even here, coming to Detroit, kind of a team on the rise that can have some success, it’s been fun to be here and try and build that with this group.”

Kane had fun playing in New York and playing alongside Artemi Panarin again, but his hip was still causing him trouble and he just physically couldn’t play to the level he desired.

For those comparing Kane’s reunited bromance with Panarin last season to DeBrincat’s this season, DeBrincat thought the state of Kane’s hip should be included in the conversation.

“I feel like it’s not fair to compare,” DeBrincat said. “He had a pretty tough hip at that point, so reuniting with him was different. Coming here, he’s fresher. I think he’s feeling pretty good.”

Kane has nine goals, 14 assists and 23 points in 24 games with the Red Wings. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

Kane knew by the end of last season that he needed to start feeling better again. He finally addressed his hip in the offseason and had surgery on it. After nearly six months of rehab, Kane signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings.

The difference in Kane’s health between this season and last is pretty apparent on the ice. He’s almost producing at a point-a-game pace. He has nine goals, 14 assists and 23 points in 24 games with the Red Wings.

“I feel like a lot of last year was just trying to get in a place to be able to play,” Kane said. “And now it seems more like I’m trying to get back to being productive, like a dominant player out there. So, still working on it, still think I can be better.”

Entwistle saw what Kane was going through behind closed doors and couldn’t be happier that Kane is feeling healthy and playing like his old self.

“I think a guy like that, you want to see success, especially somebody who puts so much time and effort into the game,” Entwistle said. “It’s kind of similar to Bedard, just the way they attack every single day with the mindset, ‘OK, what am I going to do better today, how am I going to make other people around me better?’ That’s the type of guy he was. I saw the day-to-day what he was going through. To see him now succeeding and being healthy again is obviously special, not only special for him and his family, but special for the game because he’s a special player, special person.”

Kane is enjoying being in the playoff hunt again, too. The Red Wings currently sit in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. February games held little meaning in Kane’s last few seasons with the Blackhawks.

Kane would have entertained returning to the Blackhawks this season even after being traded, but that call never came. He is pleased Blackhawks fans do have Bedard to give them hope for the future, though.

“It’s good,” Kane said of Bedard. “I think it’s good for the league that he’s in Chicago. Chicago is such a great hockey market. And I think he can really build himself there and become a prominent player. He already is very promoted around the league, which I think is good. It gives the league and different fans around the league something to get to be excited about. You can see that with the Winter Classic and other things he’s involved in with. It’s good. I know they’re trying to rebuild something there. Seems like that’s definitely the way you want to start off, with a player like that.”

Kane isn’t sure where he’ll be after this season. Contrary to rumors, he hasn’t bought a house in the Detroit area. He’d ideally like to finish out his career not jumping from team to team.

“We’ll see what happens,” Kane said. “Just trying to stay in the moment and enjoy it. Not really sure what’s gonna happen at the end of the year, but I’m not too worried about it right now. Honestly, it’s fun to be back playing, especially with my hip feeling good, and just feeling good on the ice and being a part of a winning team and trying to get in the playoffs. It’s been really fun.”

Which brings us to Kane’s return on Sunday. Although he’d love for more former teammates to be there, Sunday will be about Kane and the Blackhawks fans sharing another moment together.

“The fans there were incredible,” Kane said of his career. “From day one, just supporting me as a first overall pick and a young kid and coming in and trying to grow my game in front of that fan base and feel the support was really special. Obviously, through our playoff runs and even in some tough times as well, I always felt the support from the fans. … So, it’ll be fun to go back and just share that moment with the fans. Not really sure what to expect or what’s gonna happen, but it’s going be a fun night.”

(Top photo of Patrick Kane saluting the Blackhawks crowd in Feb. 2023: Jamie Sabau / USA Today)