Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane has "made some personal adjustments" in the wake of a rape investigation that ultimately resulted in no charges being filed against him, according to a cover story by S.L. Price of SI. Kane has "stopped drinking." Kane also said he has "tightened a lot of things up." The investigation into Kane had the Blackhawks, who have won three Stanley Cups since '10, "upbeat yet paranoid," as the team believes the model it "assembled so quickly can collapse just as fast." Blackhawks President & CEO John McDonough said, "I think that there is a maturation process that is taking place right now with Patrick. The events over this past summer probably opened his eyes to a lot of things, and he recognizes how difficult this was on all of us -- not just his family -- but all of us here within this organization. Because we really do feel that this is a special, special place, and he's at the epicenter of it." Price notes the investigation has "dogged Kane's every step since." Kane: "There's been plenty of times that I've wanted to defend myself in the whole situation, but it's kind of in the past now. I'm just looking forward to moving on from everything" (SI, 3/14 issue).
WHAT IS HIS REPUTATION? SI.com's weekly NHL roundtable addressed Kane's reputation, and Sam Page wondered if it can "be salvaged." Page: "Of course -- just look at Kobe Bryant’s current retirement tour. ... Whatever your opinion of Patrick Kane, nothing that happened during this season was going to change your mind." SI.com's Michael Blinn said, "Folks seems to have dug their heels in one way or the other and there's not a whole lot of room for debate between them. As for his reputation, I suppose that depends which side of the hill you're on." SI.com's Allan Muir added, "The league's stance seems to be right in concert with the results of the criminal investigation, including the use of the word 'unfounded.' And since the evidence suggests that Kane committed no crime, then it's time for people to stop treating him as a criminal, or worse, as an avatar for an insidious social problem. Will that happen? Probably not" (SI.com, 3/11).
