Forget Crosby and Ovechkin - Market Patrick Kane

I know it sounds bad. How could Patrick Kane - sleazy, hairless, unable-to-sacrifice-20-cents Patrick Kane -become the next emblem of the NHL? At first, there doesn’t seem to be room in the league between the Sidney Crosby-Alexander Ovechkin rivalry and the constant bombardment of Washington-Pittsburgh merchandise. At most, Kane’s role is secondary, and further reduced to background noise next to the League's more marketable stars.

But I have a proposition to make: Patrick Kane, the next new face of the NHL.

Kane, age 21, has emerged as the unlikely poster boy for Generation Y. Unlike his fellow linemate Jonathan Toews, Kane doesn't shy away from flaunting his youth and enthusiasm. He isn’t afraid to party and shuffle down a couple beers while he’s at it. And in an instant, Kane can shed the playfulness and display a fire and drive akin to that of a Stanley Cup champion. [Sidenote: What represents our generation more than Twi-hards? Patrick Kane is one of them...which is hilarious, we can all agree, but endearing, too.] Unlike Crosby, who has been more or less shackled to the league's demands of propriety, Kane is the league's most relatable – and most human – player, whose god-like talents are balanced by a down-to-earth disposition.

We all know by now the infamous cab driver incident, and by no means do I intend to suggest these actions are excusable. But as the maxim goes, no one is perfect, and I think it’s safe to dismiss his mistake as a product of youth, not as a flaw in personality. I don’t believe Kane is the “douchebag” some people let him out to be. Reading up on his recent outings with the Stanley Cup suggests his maturation is coming on quickly.

With a league that is so stilted in personality – half of the players are your typical “good Canadian boys” who say and do all the right things (although it beats players who shoot themselves in the legs at clubs), Kane represents the all-American face the league should endorse if it wants to further attract markets down South. He might not appeal to all demographics, but for young people just beginning to dig their fingers into hockey, Kane would be an excellent ambassador of the game. He represents prodigious skill, talent, and youth unfettered by regulation. Let Crosby and Ovechkin be the landmarks of this era – but give Patrick Kane and others like him the chance to shine too.

[Photo: Zimbio]