Patrick Kane does what a lot of youngsters do during summer vacation. He sleeps in late, he eats whatever he wants, he hangs out with his buddies and he plays video games. The difference, of course, is that the Blachawks' right winger isn't like most youngsters for various reasons.

For example, that video game that Kane's friends have played throughout the years is now going feature their old buddy on the cover. On Monday afternoon, the 20-year-old became the youngest player in history to be featured on EA Sports' NHL video game, appearing on the NHL 10 cover. In the midst of all the hoopla that comes with such an announcement, I caught up with Kane for a few minutes over the phone, and found out that he is as laid back as most kids his age. Even he can't believe all the good things that have happened since he made his debut in the NHL just two short years ago…

You're 20 years old. You're on the the cover of NHL 10 now. Aside from winning a Stanley Cup, how do you top what's been happening lately?

Patrick Kane: (Laughs) Well it's definitely up there with moments like scoring your first goal, and playing your first game, your first playoff game, being drafted, things like that. This is definitely right up there with it. Being on the cover of a, basically the main NHL video game. It's … it doesn't really get better than this right now.

Were you a big video game guy growing up?

PK: Yeah, I was actually. I've been playing this game since I was ten years old, so I've had a lot of fun. I remember going out and saying … I'd be saying I want the game with [Eric] Lindros on the front, with [Peter] Forsberg on the front, with [Chris] Pronger on the front. Now I'm on the cover of the game and kids will be saying, "I want the game with Kane on the front," so it's pretty amazing to think of that. Like I said, I've been playing since I was ten years old. It's kind of one of those far-fetched dreams that maybe you think you have a chance, but … here I am sitting here, the youngest player ever to be on the cover, second American ever. It really takes you a few steps back and definitely humbles you, It's really truly amazing … it's a great feeling right now. It's unbelievable. I think any player in the NHL would be lying to you if they told you they didn't want to be on the cover.

I know a lot of my buddies always tried to make the guys bleed in the video game, were you one of those guys?

PK: (Laughs) It's funny. I've been watching my buddies play the last couple years and whenever they play against me, they're always trying to injure me throughout the game. If my buddies [are playing] … while I'm playing as myself. So here I am in the first period walking off of every game injured. Nah, it's fun. I remember creating myself back in the day, where you're making yourself as Pat Kane as a player in the NHL, and you are now actually in the game, you don't have to do it. Let alone being on the cover. It's pretty amazing times.

You're a Buffalo native. You've still got a lot of family and friends up there. How many people do you think are going to get this game and try to switch you into a Sabres sweater?

PK: (Laughs) Not too much in the family, but around Buffalo, I tell ya, there's a lot. I think some people don't really understand, they're saying, "When are you gonna sign with Buffalo, when are you gonna sign?" I'm like, "Hey, man, I really like it in Chicago right now." So, it's fun, that's the way it is, that's the way people are sometimes, but right now I'm pretty content in the Chi-town.

What's your favorite part about Chicago?

PK: Well, I lived with the assistant GM in more like a Lincoln Park area my first year, and last year I bought a place downtown … they're just two different worlds, kind of the Lincoln Park area to the downtown, you can get the best of both worlds in the city. I really enjoy downtown, you can do a new thing every night, you can go watch a show or a movie, or go to a different place to eat or go catch a Cubs game, a Sox game, hang out at Wrigleyville. There's just so much to do. It reminds me of kind of like a bigger, nicer Buffalo. Really nice people, no one's really stuck up around the city. Great place to live, for sure.

Lincoln Park as a 20-year-old can't be too bad, huh?

PK: Yeah, well you know what? I was living with a family so it was a little bit tougher … after I moved downtown I was kind of on my own and kind of doing my own thing, so that was fun too. Both of them were fun though. The first year I was living with two little kids, which was pretty fun … sometimes they'd walk in on you taking naps before the game, which would kind of drive you crazy, but they came out and [would] hang out with me every night, a five-year-old and a two-year-old. [I] really enjoyed 'em, but sometimes it's time to move on and kind of start your own life and live on your own, and I'm enjoying that too.

Getting back to the video game for a second, if you had to pick out your all-time team, who would be on it?

PK: [Wayne] Gretzky at center. If you could put [Mario] Lemieux on the right wing, and maybe Bobby Hull on the left wing, defense Paul Coffey I would say and maybe Nick Lidstrom and then in goalie I would have, I was a big Sabres fan growing up, so I'm gonna go with [Dominik] Hasek on that one.

Does this game allow you to beat the crap out of Johan Franzen if he rips your mouthpiece out like he did in the playoffs?

PK: (Laughs) We were just talking about that actually. I can get some revenge on him in the game, hopefully, with a couple slashes, or face wash him after the whistle, in the game you can do that. It's pretty funny actually, the game's so realistic with the after-the-whistle play, you can play along the boards with your skates. When you're skating by the fans that are banging on the glass or waving they're towels in the playoffs, just so many things that are so realistic. It's really fun to play and it's fun to see too.

Out of your teammates from the Hawks, who can play the game the best?

PK: I'm gonna have to say [Jonathan] Toews and [Patrick] Sharp are up there with the best video gamers, but I'm gonna work on my game this summer, so I can come back and take it to 'em.

You were in Vegas last week for the NHL Awards show. What's the one thing about the city that you didn't know about before you got there?

PK: It's just a different world. I was actually … I'm underage, obviously, being in Vegas. They're very strict on IDs, being around the casino and things like that. I even just wanted to watch my cousin play; you're not allowed to be on the casino floor watching him. I think people knew who I was kind of in the Palms. They heard of me, and that I was coming into town, and that I was underage, so anytime I was on the floor they were asking me my age, and I had to tell them I was 20 every time. That's wasn't too fun. But, it should be fun maybe going back next year as a legal person.

What's the funniest story from the trip that you can share, if there is one?

PK: Let me think, let me think, let me think. (Laughs) I don't know if there's too much to share, actually the one night they did let me into the club and they said I couldn't drink or anything … a security guard was following me around everywhere I went so I pretty much had no privacy, and everywhere I went he was by my side. It was pretty amazing.

So now when you go into the club, is your pick-up line, I'm on the cover of NHL '10 or …

PK: HAHA! Now that you mention that, it's gonna have to be for everyone, "Hey, have you seen the cover of the new video game? … Yeah, that's me."

Are you worried about any kind of Madden Curse catching up with hockey?

PK: You know what? I've heard about it, but then I think, what I am gonna say, no, because of some curse that can't really affect me? It's not an NHL curse or anything, it's more of a Madden thing, so for me I'm not just gonna say no because of some curse. I'd rather be on the video game than not.

If you had to sum up the season in one memory, which one sticks out the most?

PK: Probably Game 6 against Vancouver, scoring the hat trick, clinching the series there, I think that was pretty unbelievable. Definitely one of the high points of my career, scoring that hat trick in the playoff game, and in an elimination game, where we were moving onto the next round to play the Wings.

Do you go to sleep in the off-season with the "Duh, nuh-nuh-nuh" goal song still in your head?

PK: HAHA! It's funny, if me and my boys are out having a good time, we'll usually come back and if it's a late night, we'll wake everyone up playing that song and kind of enjoying it. It's a pretty good song, I love hearing it after you score a goal, and I'm sure the fans love it too. It's pretty special.

Do you have any plans for the summer?

PK: Right now, I'm in Toronto obviously, for this. I'm coming back to Chicago for a couple days [Tuesday] and then I'm back in Buffalo. But I'm coming up to Chicago for a week before the [Blackhawks fan] convention, gonna work out there, and then obviously you have the convention, there's so much going on. I think in the offseason, you think you're kind of home free and you don't have much going on, but there's still a lot off appearances and things you have to do that … come with the job. But that's the way it is, you gotta enjoy it and you gotta love it.

What's a typical day for you like in Buffalo during the summer?

PK: Right now, it's sleep in 'til about 12 [noon]. Eat like crap all day and lay around right now. Soon I'll be waking up early in the morning, working out, taking care of the body a little bit better.

We'll wrap it up on this one: One of the most popular stories on our site was the one that listed 20 facts about you and included pictures of your sisters. How do you deal with being the big brother to three cute sisters?

PK: (Laughs) Well, luckily they're all pretty good girls, and I think two of them have boyfriends and stuff, so not much you can do about that, but at least they're not gonna be running around wild. It's pretty funny to hear things, I mean Toews always jokes with me saying he's going to date my older sister and things like that, but I always tell him he doesn't have a shot. He gets mad at me.

You realize that you just disappointed the whole city of Chicago by saying that two of your sisters have boyfriends.

PK: Actually, I don't know whether you ever heard my rookie of the year speech, but it's pretty good. I go up there and say a couple things, thanking people but, in the middle, it's, "The toughest part of my job this year is keeping 25 guys away from my sisters," so it got a pretty good laugh.

That's a never-ending job.

PK: Oh yeah. (Laughs) Absolutely.

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