The Detroit Red Wings’ training camp is already halfway over.
As the Red Wings enter the second half of training camp, here is a collection of notes from the first half that didn’t make it into THN Detroit’s daily coverage. These notes include topics of roster moves, international hopes and more.
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Patrick Kane Eyeing Olympic Spot in the Future
The 2026 Winter Olympics might be more than a year away, but Patrick Kane has his sights set on making the team. Even if he’s keeping his focus on training camp and preparing for a good regular season, the thought of making Team USA is still apparent.
“It’s kind of in the back of your mind a little bit, but I don’t think it’s anything you’re really thinking about right now,” Kane said Thursday. “You think about getting ready for the season, having a good camp and being as ready as possible for the start of the regular season.”
Because of the exclusion of NHL players in the past three Olympics, Kane hasn’t taken the ice for the Americans since 2014 at Sochi. He also played in the 2010 Vancouver Games. In 12 career Olympic games, Kane has tallied nine points.
Kane is humble about his chances to make the 2026 team. At 35 — 37 when the Olympics begin — he’s not getting younger while playing a game that’s driven by speed and quickness. Even if he is Patrick Kane, arguably the most talented American hockey player to ever play, he doesn’t feel he’s a shoo-in.
“There’s a lot of good players, a lot of good forwards — (Dylan Larkin) and (Alex) DeBrincat included for the U.S. team — so we’ll see what happens,” Kane said. “It’s a privilege and an honor to play for Team USA. You want to be on those teams, but I guess we’ll see how it all shakes out and it would be an honor to represent (my) country, especially in those big tournaments like the Four Nations and the Olympics where you’re playing best on best. But like I said, just kind of in the back of your mind right now.”
These next few months of the season will be crucial for the American coaching staff — led by Penguins coach Mike Sullivan — to scout out the potential pieces of their roster. So even if the roster isn’t totally being decided right out of training camp, these early regular…