VANCOUVER, British Columbia _ He had no choice in the matter, but Patrick Kane will be donning red, white and black rather than red, white and blue during the upcoming Winter Olympics.
Kane will be wearing Blackhawks colors in lieu of Team USA garb because of the NHL's decision to disallow its players from participating in the Games.
Despite his desire to represent his country in what would have been his third straight Olympics, Kane said he'll be tuning in to see some old friends play for Team USA, which comprises mostly pros from other leagues and some college players.
"You're probably pissed off when you hear the news," said Kane, who was one of 10 Hawks to participate in the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia. "Now you're kind of looking past that and focusing on what we have to do here during the stretch run with the Blackhawks."
Kane said he'll keep a particular eye on James Wisniewski, who spent the first 3{ seasons of his 11-year NHL career with the Hawks. The U.S. men's first game is Feb. 14 against Slovenia.
"It would be nice to see them win Olympic gold," Kane said. "I'll be watching both teams (men's and women's) and hoping for the best. But it would have been nice to be going."
Three former Hawks _ Rene Bourque, Andrew Ebbett and Rob Klinkhammer _ are on Canada's roster.
