John Gibson, Patrick Kane & Todd McLellan Post Game @ CHI | Dec. 13, 2025

John Gibson, Patrick Kane & Todd McLellan Post Game @ CHI | Dec. 13, 2025

First off, give you the way you guys closed out this road trip. What did you like most from tonight’s performance? Yeah, I mean, I thought it was a complete game top to bottom, from the drop of the puck to the finish. We stuck to our game plan, played really well. Uh, total team effort, you know, what did you like about the road trip for you guys? I mean, what you guys did you guys prove anything to yourselves or what did you think about We won hockey games. I mean, that’s it’s a long road trip. It’s a hard road trip. So, uh, we knew tonight was a big one. Kind of set it apart from making it an average road trip or a really good road trip. So, we put a little extra pressure on ourselves and uh like I said before, it was a complete effort and I think we’re uh starting to build on something and hope we can carry it home and uh keep the momentum going for Christmas break. How fun is it to see what Patrick King’s doing little by little getting closer to history? Yeah, I mean I think everybody was excited to come here. I mean, obviously it’s my first time here playing with them. So, it was I know I was looking forward to that, seeing everybody out there for warm-ups and uh big night from him and Cat obviously getting off to a great start and they kind of set the tone and everybody else was ready to follow. How big was that start put him in a two nothing hole like that really quick and yeah, I mean I think uh same thing in Calgary. I mean, you get off to good starts like that. I mean, it really uh sets the tone early and kind of used it to carry the momentum throughout the game here tonight. Do you get that? Do you sense the confidence building with this team at all? I mean, I think you have success on the road. I mean, you can build confidence. I mean, it’s it’s a long season. I mean, there’s going to be more ups and downs. I think we all know that, but we just want to keep grinding it now. Keep building, keep building our game and playing as confident as we can and thought we did a really good job of that on the road trip. Kainer this morning, you talked about how when would separate a good road trip from a great one. Uh, the way you guys played out there, what did you like most about the performance? The start was great. It was a similar game to Calgary and we got ourselves in the same position and uh instead of giving up three in the third, we really shut it down. I mean, Gibson’s been awesome uh the last, you know, handful of games. He’s been great for us and um really a backbone back there. So, um I think uh really a good trip for us. I mean, what were we? Uh 4101, I think. So, uh that’s uh that’s uh that’s a great trip. You know, six games in and 10 days with a lot of travel. It’s um that’s a that’s a real tough trip. So to come out four one and one, I think we can be really happy with that. Do you sense like game management has improved a lot earlier in the season and putting opponents away instead of letting them hang in there? Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Um that’s something we kind of talked about in training camp too, right? Um and um you know, it’s still a work in progress. I think we can do a better job of maybe playing in their end a little bit more. Um maybe that’s a next step for us, but um like I said, we got oursel in a position similar to Calgary. Learned from it the other night and and did a better job. How fun were those first few minutes? Good first couple shifts. Uh we were buzzing. So had a lot of looks there the first half of the game, second half of the game kind of slowed down a little bit, but um you know, nice to get us into a good spot there. Uh leading two nothing. You got you get the sense that could be his starting to roll now a little bit. Yeah, he’s been great. I mean, obviously we know his pedigree, track record, how good of a goalender he is, but um yeah, really, um he’s been awesome the last, you know, like I said, week, 10 days, really standing on his head in there for us. What do you like best about this trip? I mean, what you do you guys show anything? Uh different ways. Find different ways to win. You know, I think there’s some games we really controlled, some games we uh fought back, uh get ourselves in a position to to be in the lead in the third or are tied. And uh um Yeah, I mean it was uh um a lot of different things in the script where you find find different ways to win and different ways to uh to play the game and uh you know sometimes you got to grind them out when you don’t have your best and sometimes you play well and um you know you lose games. So that’s going to happen in this league. But I think finding ways to win is is really important for this team. Looked like Alex was trying to get you 499. How much does it mean every time you come back here and and to get one step closer to this building? Oh yeah, it’s it’s uh you know, I don’t know if um I kind of forgot how it was or um you know, you take it for granted, but the national anthem is was incredible. I mean um it was really uh really loud tonight. I don’t know if that’s how it always is or I forgot, but um you know, that kind of gets you going right away. And obviously to start that way, the first two shifts, scoring two goals really put us in a good spot. And um you know, it’s amazing to come back and just kind of uh see the Kane jerseys in the crowd and the Detroit jerseys in the crowd and uh um kind of have your moment after the game with the fans a little bit too. I think it’s uh it’s um you know, it’s cool that it’s once a year and you can come back and really enjoy it. What have you thought about season so far this year? Yeah, he’s been great. I mean, obviously he’s had a great season and he’s producing at a high rate. really seems like he’s taking the the next step for uh for that team. So, they got a good young team. I mean, I think they’ll be getting better and better. They got some players with uh some unique skill sets and some confidence and I think uh um they’re in the right direction. Does he remind you of anybody? Have you had enough chance to watch him this year to kind of um I think he’s pretty unique. You know, he’s kind of a smaller guy, but he’s seem to gotten a lot faster this year. He makes plays with the puck that that other guys can’t. you know, he he just does things, sees the game that um only the high level players do. So, he’s kind of unique in his own way. It seems like Chelios is usually here when you’re here as well. Yeah, I saw him on the the blue line there. I was hoping he was going to be dressing tonight and maybe go around the first shift, but uh he’s a great he’s been a great friend. Uh um and uh really enjoyed our our friendship over the years and um he’s a great person. I think he’s the greatest American player of all time. So, um always good things to say about you. get a bobblehead for your son of him? Um, I’m sure we’ll have to get one. I’m sure I’ll be asking. So, if I didn’t, I’ll try my best. And what’s Copper attitude here the last week? Yeah, he’s been he’s been awesome. Um, he’s uh driving plays. Um, he’s been so good defensively, great on the for check, kind of finding ways to get pucks back for us. He’s in front of the net. He scored some goals there. He’s I think uh you know, you kind of see on the threeon twos where he drives the middle, creates space for uh for myself and Cad. So, um, you know, he deserves a lot of credit. I mean, um, I know sometimes maybe we get on the score sheet a little bit more than him, but, um, you know, he’s really been producing at a good rate, too, and he deserves a lot of credit for our line success. Just first of all, this trip 41 and one, that’s very good. Yeah, when you look at it from a a points perspective, it’s uh, it’s a really good trick for us. Had to win in a lot of different ways. um you know to finish six games in I don’t know what it was 10 nights with a shut out that’s something we should be proud of and started training camp 3 months ago and we talked about being mentally stronger physically stronger and improving in game management. I thought we saw all three of those elements on the trip and especially here tonight. What have you seen from Gibson in the last couple games here in just his play? Well, he’s confident. Um the guys feel really good about, you know, playing around them. Uh less pucks coming off them, more whistles. Um very efficient, just looks like Gibby. How about that start today with a kick with Ker and what’s Cop done for that line, too. Copper’s played extremely well there. Um you know, maybe he’s been waiting for that. I’m not sure, but he’s got it now. and I’d like to see him keep it, but if he keeps doing what he’s what he’s doing, it’s a real good spot for him. Obviously, Cat and Kane are on a on a night like this in Chicago where they’re celebrating and both of them were big parts of of this organization here and I’m happy for them to to get on the board. The the team was real happy and that gave us a lot of life when those two scored that quick. Are you seeing the game management as far improve as far as not letting teams hang around like maybe earlier in the season? Well, I could say yes and then you could say, “Well, what about Calgary?” You know, but uh I’ve talked about learning some hard tough lessons. Uh maybe we learned the lesson in Calgary and applied it tonight. I I saw us doing some smart things uh with the lead and um things we didn’t necessarily do in the last 10 minutes in Calgary. U so maybe we’re growing.

John Gibson, Patrick Kane and Head Coach Todd McLellan speak with the media following Detroit’s 4-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday December 13, 2025.