When Will the Devils Face Kane with the Red Wings?

It’s showtime in Detroit. The Detroit Red Wings announced that Patrick Kane is set to make his Red Wings debut. The 35-year-old winger will step onto the ice in game action for the first time Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. Now that we know he’s set to play finally, when will the Devils face Kane as a Red Wing?

New Jersey is slated to face Detroit just three times this season. Two of those meetings already happened. The Devils opened the season at home on October 12th. It was a 4-3 victory over Detroit in Alex DeBrincat’s debut with his new squad. However, one month and 10 days later, the Devils visited Detroit for their second meeting. In the Thanksgiving Eve matchup, New Jersey didn’t give Devils fans much to be thankful. In a lifeless effort, New Jersey suffered a 4-0 loss to the Red Wings.

Things have certainly changed for Detroit since then. Kane inked a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Red Wings, partially to reunite with DeBrincat and partially because of the franchise’s storied history. It’s quite interesting to see given that Kane played for the Chicago Blackhawks for 16 seasons, arguably Detroit’s biggest rival.

Many speculated that Kane might hop right into the lineup against the Blackhawks and the New York Rangers, in the next two games following Kane inking his new deal. However, the veteran forward took the time to acclimate himself to Detroit’s system and got to know the on-ice product before getting into any games.

Before the Red Wings visit the Devils for the last time this season, Kane will play in nine games with his new club. Kane and the Red Wings will visit the Devils on Dec.23rd at the Prudential Center to kickstart the holidays. The meeting between New Jersey and Detroit will be the final one of the 2023-24 regular season. If you’re a fan of the Devils and want to see Kane play your favorite team with the Red Wings, this might be your one and only chance.

Kane will be the third player in NHL history to have hip-resurfacing surgery and return to the game. Before him, it was Ed Jovanovski in 2014 and Nicklas Backstrom in 2022. Ryan Kesler and Carl Hagelin (eye injury) also had the surgery, but their careers ended before they could attempt to play again.

The difference between Kane and the aforementioned is his surgeon, Dr. Edwin Su, believes Kane is “kind of freakish.”

Who knows how Kane will actually hold up? The history doesn’t suggest Kane’s career can go on for much longer following his surgery. Maybe, he’ll be the first to defy the odds. If you want to see Kane play at the Prudential Center at least one more time, it’ll have to be on the eve of Christmas Eve, barring a meeting in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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