It’s been a season to remember in Hockeytown - and Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena could bring yet another milestone to the Detroit Red Wings' historic campaign.
Earlier this year, the Red Wings honored franchise legend Sergei Fedorov by retiring his iconic No. 91.
Not long after, captain Dylan Larkin tied one of Fedorov’s franchise records, adding another layer to a season already rich with nostalgia and achievement. Now, Patrick Kane is on the brink of making NHL history - and this time, it’s personal.
With just one more point, Kane will stand alone atop the leaderboard as the highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history, passing Hall of Famer Mike Modano. He tied Modano’s mark of 1,374 career points on Tuesday night, notching an assist on an Alex DeBrincat goal in a 3-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
That helper was Kane’s 23rd of the season - and it came in just his 158th fewer game than Modano needed to reach the same milestone. That’s efficiency at an elite level.
To be clear, Kane won’t become the top American representative in scoring - that title still belongs to Brett Hull, who was born in Canada but holds U.S. citizenship and represented Team USA internationally. Hull’s unique path to the record books includes a twist of timing: had he been born just a few weeks later, during the NHL season rather than in August, he’d technically qualify as U.S.-born. But in terms of birthplace, Kane’s about to sit alone at the summit.
Kane’s 1,374 points currently tie him for 27th on the NHL’s all-time scoring list, and among active players, only Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and Alex Ovechkin have more. That last name is especially relevant - Ovechkin will be on the opposite bench Thursday night when the Capitals come to town, adding a layer of star power to an already electric matchup.
And here’s a fun bit of hockey history: this will be the first time since 1997 that the NHL’s all-time U.S.-born points leader and the league’s all-time goals leader share the ice. The last time it happened?
Joe Mullen - now seventh on the U.S.-born points list - lined up against Wayne Gretzky in a game that saw Gretzky tally a goal and an assist, while Mullen was held off the scoresheet. Nearly three decades later, Kane and Ovi take center stage in a matchup that’s every bit as meaningful.
For Kane, this record is just the latest chapter in a career that’s already Hall-of-Fame bound. But don’t think he’s satisfied with just personal accolades.
The Buffalo native has his eyes on a bigger prize: a fourth Stanley Cup. And judging by the way Detroit is playing, that dream doesn’t feel far-fetched.
The Red Wings are 32-17-5, sitting second in the Atlantic Division and just one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the team surging and Kane closing in on history, Thursday night in Detroit has all the makings of something special.
Puck drops at 7:30 p.m. ET. Don’t blink - history could be made in a flash.