DETROIT — Patrick Kane is back.
Kane took the first shift at right wing with the Detroit Red Wings against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, making his season debut.
The 35-year-old Kane had his right hip surgically repaired six months ago and is shooting to become the third NHL player to come back from the invasive procedure.
Detroit signed the playmaking wing last week to a prorated $2.75 million contract for the rest of the season to bolster its chances of earning a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion and 2016 NHL MVP feels significantly better than the last time he played on May 1 for the New York Rangers against New Jersey in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series.
Kane is shooting to join Ed Jovanovski and Nicklas Backstrom as NHL players to come back hip resurfacing surgery. The operation involves dislocating the upper end of the thighbone, trimming it, capping it and removing cartilage before putting it back in place.
