Patrick Kane gets chills from fan reaction at Blackhawks training camp

A segment of Chicago Blackhawks fans was happy to see Patrick Kane take to the ice at training camp Friday.

The star forward is indeed in attendance amid an ongoing investigation regarding an allegation of sexual assault, and received a warm and loud welcome from the gathered crowd waiting to take in practice at Notre Dame.

"That's a pretty cool reaction, especially given the circumstances," Kane said, according to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. "You didn't really know what to expect. I thought it was one of those things when you're going on the ice you don't know what's going to happen. To hear that reaction from the crowd definitely gave me chills. It was an exciting moment."

With the ever-present reality of a pending grand jury hearing hanging over him, Kane is focused on getting ready for the season opener on Oct. 7.

"That's the first time I've been on the ice in a while," Kane said. "It's good to get back on the ice. I was a little rusty at first and even throughout the day. It's one of those things you want to get better every day, keep pushing until that Oct. 7 date and try to peak then."

Kane said it was good to be around his teammates and joke around on the bench, a sentiment shared by captain Jonathan Toews.

"It's great. I think it's awesome," Toews said. "Like we said yesterday, we're not going to get into the details of all that stuff and for now we're excited about hockey. It's great to get that reception, not only for 'Kaner' but for all the guys on the ice. All the fans were looking forward to watching some hockey again."

Kane's case is expected to go to the grand jury within the next week.

He offered no comment on the investigation.