Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks spent time off the ice with young people who were taking part in a youth hockey clinic at Howell Ice World in Howell on Aug. 5. Kane was joined at the clinic by Blackhawks’ assistant coach Mike Haviland. PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff I t is not every day that a young hockey player gets a chance to learn how to play the sport from a player and a coach who have won the Stanley Cup.
During a recent clinic that was held at Howell Ice World in Howell, some young hockey players had that opportunity.
Patrick Kane, 22, of Buffalo, N.Y., who plays for the Chicago Blackhawks, and his coach Mike Haviland, 44, a native of Middletown, came to impart some of their hockey knowledge to the youth players.
Haviland’s brother, George, is an owner of Howell Ice World. The Havilands grew up in Middletown playing hockey.
“Growing up in Middletown, I played roller hockey and ice hockey,” Mike Haviland said. “My father started the Middletown Youth Athletic Association.”
Haviland is an assistant coach of the Blackhawks and he helped coach the team to the 2010 Stanley Cup over the Philadelphia Flyers. The win gave Chicago its first Stanley Cup in 49 years.
“Coaching the team to the Stanley Cup felt amazing. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime dream,” Haviland said. “You dream about it as a little boy, and it didn’t even hit me until six months later.”
Kane said, “Growing up in Buffalo, playing and watching hockey was my entire childhood. I was a huge Sabres fan.”
Kane and Haviland gladly accepted an invitation to assist at the youth clinic.
“At 22, I’m still a kid and I still love to have fun,” Kane said. “The kids were shy at first, but they warmed up to the fact that they were learning from a professional player. It wasn’t all serious business though, and we took time out to have some fun.”
When asked about coaching youth players, Haviland said, “It brings you back to where you all started, growing up and playing hockey as a kid. All we really do is simplify our drills for the kids.”
Kane was the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NHL draft, selected by the Blackhawks.
“I couldn’t believe I was a first-round pick. It was something most kids only dream about,” he said.
And most young people can only dream about scoring the winning point, run or goal in a championship game, but Kane has done that, too.
His overtime goal in game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup finals gave the Blackhawks a 4-3 win over the Flyers and brought the Stanley Cup to Chicago.
“The feeling of winning the Stanley Cup was indescribable,” Kane said.
Haviland and Kane said they believe youth hockey is important in the United States, and they each said it is possible that many young people playing hockey in America today could develop into very good players. They said many players are very good already and will hopefully go far in their hockey careers.