Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane spoke to the media for the first time since signing with the Red Wings on Tuesday.
One of the things he talked about was why he decided to join Detroit amid the rumors he was looking at several teams following hip surgery.
"They are really building something that's going to have a lot of success, so I'd like to be part of that," Kane said.
He added, “I felt like I needed to be in a market where hockey is popular, so we can get the city and crowd excited. Hockey is a big thing in Detroit."
Another reason is that he'll once again be teammates with Alex DeBrincat, who he played with for the Black
He was also asked about his feelings for Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman and head coach Derek LaLonde.
"Very impressed. Obviously, Steve has a certain persona about him that's pretty incredible, and I'm very impressed with Derek. Just the way he talked about the game and his knowledge of the game, how they're trying to play, how they fit into how I like to play as well," Kane said.
On Wednesday, the team also announced Kane would wear No. 88 like he did in Chicago and New York, and that Daniel Sprong gave up No. 88 and switched to No. 17. Kane said he didn't talk to him this morning and saw he switched his number over, and that he'll figure something out.
"He was very gracious about it. It was appreciated," Kane said.
While he will be a veteran on the team, with this being his 18th year in the NHL, Kane said he's both excited to be a veteran but also learn from the younger players, mentioning Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider and J.T. Compher.
As for when Kane could make his debut, he said it will probably be in 7-10 days, which could be any time starting with Detroit's road game against Buffalo, or home games against the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 7 or Ottawa Senators on Dec. 9.
