Armour: For Blackhawks' good, Patrick Kane needs to sit out training camp

After all the good Patrick Kane has done for the Chicago Blackhawks on the ice, the best thing he can do for them now is to stay off of it.

When the defending Stanley Cup champions open training camp Friday, Kane should be conspicuously absent. That goes double for the welcome-back bash at the United Center four days later that's disguised as a practice.

Kane may be one of Chicago's biggest stars, a cornerstone in the franchise's revival along with captain Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks probably don't have one of their recent Stanley Cup titles without Kane, let alone three in six seasons.

But he's also under investigation for sexual assault, and that's a distraction the Blackhawks don't need.

Look, I have no idea whether Kane is innocent or guilty of the allegations against him. Nor does anyone other than Kane and the woman who has accused him of assaulting her at his offseason house Aug. 2, regardless of what the very vocal and sometimes shameless defenders of the Blackhawks' star claim.

That's beside the point.

As long as an Erie County (N.Y.) grand jury is involved, the best thing for everybody is for Kane to keep a low profile as he's done the last six weeks.

Now, there are some who will say there's no reason for Kane to go underground, that he's innocent until proven guilty. While that technically is correct, that refers to the court of the law.

In real life, absolutes are shaded in grey.

Even if Kane is cleared of the sexual assault allegations, he's guilty of poor judgment. While it was his behavior that created this mess, the NHL and the Blackhawks have to answer for it, too.

Like his counterparts at the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman likes to talk about the "privilege" of playing in the league. How players have an obligation not to do anything — on or off the ice — that could damage the league's reputation.

Bettman has said the league needs to "watch the process play out," but it's a good bet EA Sports didn't make the decision to yank Kane off the cover of NHL 16 on its own.

The Blackhawks are even more protective of their image. Since Rocky Wirtz inherited the team from his late father, he and president and CEO John McDonough have taken great pains to market the Blackhawks as a squeaky-clean organization, with players any parent would be happy to have as role models.

In one promotional video last season, Andrew Shaw accompanied a Girl Scout to Toews' house so the 5-year-old could sell the captain some cookies. Not only did Toews buy some, the "Awwww"-inducing video shows him ironing a new badge onto her vest.

Rape allegations don't exactly square with that warm-and-fuzzy persona. Especially when they involve a player who's already used up his quota of bad behavior.

In 2009, Kane pleaded guilty to a noncriminal charge of disorderly conduct for roughing up a cab driver in his hometown of Buffalo. Three years later, photos of a clearly intoxicated Kane were accompanied by stories of raunchy behavior during a weekend in Madison, Wis.

Though many excused the episodes as Kane being a party boy, the Blackhawks made it clear they weren't happy with his antics. Talented as Kane is, the Original Six franchise isn't about to compromise its integrity for anyone.

Which brings us back to the opening of training camp Friday.

Regardless of Kane's whereabouts, the spotlight on the Blackhawks is going to be an uncomfortable one. But the questions — and embarrassment — will be limited to a day, max, if Kane isn't around. Show up, and it's a three-ring circus until the case is resolved.

Far best for everyone if Kane stays out of the picture and lets the justice system work its course, the hope that the grand jury has reached a decision before the regular season opens Oct. 7.

Say what you will about Kane, but he's always been a team player. The Blackhawks need him to be one now more than ever.