Steve Yzerman reveals when he first knew Patrick Kane was special

The Detroit Red Wings have gotten some incredible production out of future Hall of Fame forward Patrick Kane, who decided to join them in late November this season and has thrived in his new surroundings by becoming a point-per-game player and rekindling the magic that made him one of the most dominant NHL players during his run with the rival Chicago Blackhawks. 

Right now, he's riding a 10-game point streak and has been a huge reason why the Red Wings are in prime position to end their playoff drought that stretches back to 2016. For general manager Steve Yzerman, the signing of Kane has been nothing but satisfactory.

"He obviously looks really good, and I've watched him his entire career," Yzerman said. "But when you see him on your own team and his poise with the puck and his patience with it is remarkable." 

As you may remember, it was Yzerman who served as general manager for Team Canada during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics that would eventually see them capture the gold medal with a dramatic overtime win over the United States. But as Yzerman explains it, it was the two games that Canada played against Team USA that he realized just how impactful a player that Kane was. 

"I go back a little but, but going back to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver playing against the US in the preliminary round, I was with Canada," he said. "We lost to the US in the preliminary round and he was really good in that game, and then we played them in the gold medal game and he was phenomenal. The plays he was making, that was the first time that I knew who he was in the NHL and saw it first hand that he's very special. That good stood out to me, though we ultimately won in overtime, but every time he had the puck, it seemed like he was going to create a scoring chance" 

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