Clean-shaven, relaxed and noticeably bulked up, Patrick Kane's offseason is already in full swing.
The Blackhawks winger said he is working out in Chicago this summer _ a departure from his usual routine of living and training in his hometown of Buffalo _ as he tries to improve on the season for which he is the prohibitive favorite to earn the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player during the 2016 NHL Awards on Wednesday night in Las Vegas.
"Hitting it hard, you know," Kane said Tuesday of his five-day-a-week workouts. "It's not like I'm trying to get too big or anything, I'm just trying to feel good about my body, work on certain things like explosiveness _ especially in the gym right now.
"That's kind of where you get your motivation, how tough workouts can be in the gym and trying to push yourself through that. Once you get on the ice, you're playing a game you love (and) it's fun. So you try to get your motivation for the gym."
The change in locale for the workouts figures to benefit Kane, who prepared for last season under a cloud of suspicion while being investigated for an alleged sexual assault at his Western New York home. The Erie County district attorney eventually dismissed the allegations and Kane was not charged. The NHL launched its own investigation and found the woman's claims to be unfounded.
Being in Chicago also gives the Hawks organization an opportunity to keep a closer eye _ and perhaps maintain some control _ on their star attraction. He has had his share of offseason difficulties throughout his nine-season NHL career.
Kane, who will be "back and forth" between Chicago and Buffalo, said it will be good to have a return to an offseason where the focus is on rest while also preparing for an encore of his most sensational season yet.
"(Last summer) I was still training as hard as I would have, I'm just doing it at home," Kane said of being in Chicago. "Now, I'm doing it with a couple of guys and a trainer and (it) feels good. I don't think I'd be working out the week after (if) we would have made it to the finals. It's exciting to work out a little bit earlier and do certain things that maybe you didn't have time to do over the course of a short summer."
The disappointment of the Hawks' first-round departure from the playoffs still stings for Kane, who after posting career highs with 46 goals and 60 assists during the regular season, had a goal and six assists in the seven-game series against the Blues.
"I felt I could have performed a little bit better in playoffs and maybe take some control of different games in that series," Kane said. "That's always tough to look back and say you could have done this or that. Hopefully it prepares you (for) what happens next year or down the road. It's always tough to lose in the playoffs, especially in the first round when you feel you have a chance to do some special things."
Kane now is focusing on the 2016-17 season and said there are "a lot of things" he can improve.
"Whether it's having more control every shift or being able to capitalize in certain areas ... as a competitive player you always want to work on everything," he said. "I'll probably stay off the ice for a little bit to try to get my body where I want it. After that, work on certain things like your shot, explosiveness (and) agility.
"(Agility's) one thing in the game today that can be really used effectively to try to get in and out of checks and move your way, whether it's through the neutral zone (or) the offensive zone."
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