Detroit Red Wings star Patrick Kane is on the cusp of being the highest-scoring U.S.-born player of all-time. If and when he sets the record, it will take a while until Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews comes close.
In his fabulous NHL career, Detroit Red Wings right winger Patrick Kane has checked just about every box imaginable.
Three Stanley Cup championships? Check. Calder Trophy as top rookie in the league? Check. Hart Trophy as the most valuable player in the regular season? Check. Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP? Check. And Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's top point-producer? Check.
It's a staggering amount of achievements for the 37-year-old, and he's one point away from breaking Mike Modano's record for the most points of any U.S.-born NHL player.
If and when he records his 1,375th regular-season point, which could come as early as Thursday night against the Washington Capitals, he should hold that record for years to come as a potential Hockey Hall of Famer – even if there's already another challenger.
When the Chicago Blackhawks drafted Kane first overall in 2007, expectations for Kane were sky-high. But for parts of 16 seasons with the Hawks, Kane not only lived up to expectations, but he surpassed them.
And if Kane produces another 18 points in the Wings' final 28 games – certainly not out of the question – he'll also bypass NHL superstar sniper Brett Hull, a Canadian-born American who generated 1,391 points in his outstanding career.
Kane also doesn't have many signs of slowing down right now. He has 31 points in 39 games this season, and on a one-year contract, he's helping the Red Wings succeed this season, as they rank second in the Atlantic Division.
He could create some lengthy distance between himself and Modano by the end of his NHL career. And he could make it tougher for another American to break his record. The closest contender to Kane at this point is Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews.
"Special player," Kane told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger on Jan. 21. "And I think one day he'll probably be in the shoes I'm in right now."
Matthews has 772 points in 676 games. When Kane played his 676th game, he had 682 points.
The Leafs captain averaged at least a point per game from his sophomore year to last season, logging a career-high 107 points in 2023-24. That said, he's played 75 games or more only twice, due to the COVID-19-shortened seasons and injuries. He's also recording 0.96 points per game this season, a slightly slower pace than last season, when he averaged 1.16 points.
But at 28 years old, Matthews has plenty of time left to catch and pass Kane's eventual career point total.
If Matthews continues to produce at a 1.14 points-per-game pace, he could reach Modano's career total in the 2031-32 season. He would be 34 by then, leaving time to close the gap Kane creates by that point.
Kane's dominance over the years certainly puts him in the conversation for the greatest Blackhawks player of all-time, although hockey fans of a certain vintage would probably give the nod in that department to icons Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita.
But there's no question he's one of the greatest competitors of his generation, and capping off his career by claiming another slew of records only underscores the phenomenal impact he's had on the game.
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