The Chicago Blackhawks will have Patrick Kane back for the opening round of the NHL playoffs in the series against the Nashville Predators and the forward may play Game 1 after being out for an extended period of time with an injury.
Kane is set to return after dealing with a broken collarbone back in February and he has been cleared to get back into game action. According to the Associated Press, Kane and Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville both confirmed that the forward would be ready for the series and that he likely would play in Game 1 as long as there were no setbacks.
The AP reports that Kane was able to practice with the team and now he is set to return. Kane is a key player for the Blackhawks and he comes in after putting up 27 goals and 67 points this season.
"It's exciting," Kane said after practice Tuesday, according to ESPN.com. "It's been a long 50 days here, so it's a credit to a lot of hard work from obviously the doctors and the trainers and just listening to them and trying to heal as fast as possible. "I didn't really know what to expect to be honest with you. The whole time I was just taking it day by day. When I started feeling good, that's when I knew there was a chance I'd be back a little sooner."