Blackhawks legend Stan Mikita feels good about cancer battle

Blackhawks legend Stan Mikita, who was diagnosed with Stage 1 oral cancer in May, said Monday he is feeling good and hopes to hear better news soon from his doctor after completing treatments for the disease.

"I will know in 10 days how my recovery is when I see the doctor," Mikita said at the Blackhawks Alumni golf outing named for him at Medinah Country Club. "I'm looking for very favorable comments from him. I might need some work done probably, but I hope it's not forever. It's been coming along real well."

Mikita didn't play golf Monday, but he did hit the ceremonial first tee shot to begin the annual event.

The Blackhawks Alumni Association, founded by the late Keith Magnuson, is one of the strongest groups of its kind in professional sports.

President Cliff Koroll said the organization has only grown stronger in the years since chairman Rocky Wirtz and club president/CEO John McDonough took over the franchise.

"The door was always open before slightly, but now the door is wide open," Koroll said. "Rocky and John and Jay Blunk have really embraced our alumni. It's great that they have the ambassadors, but it's filtered down to the rest of us.

"We've all benefited from it. They've all wanted us to do more in the community, we've had greater exposure, and it's enabled us to to a lot of things with giving back to the community."

Kane on schedule:

General manager Stan Bowman said Patrick Kane's rehab is on schedule for a training-camp return from the July surgery on his left wrist.

"He's doing great and is right on schedule," Bowman said. "We don't expect any difficulties. We'll have him checked when we get closer to the actual start of camp, but so far it's routine and no problems are expected.

"He's still able to do a lot of cardio stuff, so he's staying in shape."

Rested and ready:

If Stan Bowman had to pick one Hawks player who has benefited the most from this long off-season it would be Marian Hossa.

Three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Finals might have taken their toll on Hossa last season when he missed 17 games with various injuries.

"I've talked to him a couple times and he said he really needed this break to, No. 1, let his body recuperate," Bowman said. "He's played so much hockey over the past three or four years with all those long runs in the playoffs.

"He figured it out, he's played almost an additional 100 games than most guys have played, almost four seasons over the last three years."

Hossa appeared in 72 playoff games over the last four springs and skated in seven games in the 2010 Olympics.