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Kane’s summer plan: stay out of trouble

patrickkanegetty

At 24, Patrick Kane has already experienced some of the most dramatic highs and lows that a pro hockey player can go through.

He’s one of the faces of American hockey, a two-time champion and the reigning Conn Smythe winner, but there’s no doubt that he’s drawn some negative attention off the ice. With that in mind, he told the Chicago Tribune that he’s having fun this summer ... but not too much of it.

“Just try to relax, try to enjoy it,” Kane said. “You know, try to keep myself out of trouble.”

He understands that his past experiences can make him an easy target for candid cell phone photos and tabloid-style headlines.

“It’s hard to the point where there’s so much social media and so much cameras and people who want to take pictures where anything you do is going to be under the microscope and people are going to record it,” Kane said. “Something even minor I do is going to be reported because of things that have happened in the past. You have to be aware of that.”

The young forward already sounds like he’s developing some veteran savvy, noting that he’s getting more adept at avoiding trouble.

“It seems to be easier these days as you get older,” Kane said. “You’re obviously going to have your fun. You still feel like a young kid, but with what has happened in the first six years of my career, I still can prove a lot more as a player and maybe accomplish some more things with this team.”

Kane notes that he’s skated about five times so far this summer, so it sounds like he’s starting to shift from play to work mode.

(Not that he can’t mix a little of both.)