Patrick Kane Becomes the All-Time Leading American Point Scorer in NHL History

Kane, 37, recorded his 1,375th point to surpass Mike Modano’s mark, which had stood since 2011

Patrick Kane of the Red Wings warms up prior to a game against the Washington Capitals at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Jan. 29, 2026. Jaime Crawford/Getty Images

History was made in Detroit on Thursday, courtesy of Red Wings winger Patrick Kane. The New York native recorded his 1,375th point, which moved him out of a tie with Mike Modano to become the highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history.

Kane notched the point on an assist in Detroit’s game versus the Washington Capitals, meaning he was sharing the ice with the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, of any nationality, in Alexander Ovechkin. Kane recorded the historic point in the second period on an assist to Ben Chiarot, which tied the game 1-1. The former skated the puck to the left corner of the rink at Little Caesars Arena before passing to Alex DeBrincat in the circle. DeBrincat then spun and sent it to Chiarot, who had a one-timer into the back of the net.

The teams would eventually battle to a 3-3 stalemate that went into overtime. The Caps would then prevail in a shootout, 3-2, though Kane was one of the Red Wings to score in the shootout via a snap shot.

Kane’s tied the record Tuesday when he assisted on a DeBrincat goal in Detroit’s 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. At 37, Kane is three years younger than Modano, whose final points came as a 40-year-old, coincidentally, with the Red Wings in the 2010-11 NHL season.

Modano and the Red Wings were clearly ready for history to be made, whether in this game or further down the schedule. Right after the history maker, the Red Wings posted a video on the jumbotron in which he congratulated Kane for being the greatest American point scorer in NHL history.

“Patty, congratulations on becoming the American-born point leader,” said Modano. “I knew at an early age in your career that you’d be the one chasing this number down, and here we are today. Your skill level, your ability to shoot the puck, pass, make plays, be creative, your shootout goals, how we got ‘Showtime’, but more importantly your influence on American-born players—Clayton Keller, the Hughes Brothers, Cole Caufield—they all wanted to be Patrick Kane growing up, and here we are.

“I couldn’t be more proud for you. I hope you have a great night. All the best to you and your family. Continue on, and make this number harder for the next guy.”

An emotional Kane had tears in his eyes while watching the video from the ice, and he received a standing ovation from the Detroit crowd afterward.

Modano and Kane share more than just playing for the Red Wings—they were No. 1 overall picks nearly 20 years apart. In 1988, Modano became the second American to be selected first overall, while in 2007 Kane became the sixth U.S.-born player to go No. 1. Since Kane’s selection, two more Americans have been drafted first overall.

Modano was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014, and Kane is sure to follow someday. Kane is a nine-time All-Star and a three-time Stanley Cup champion. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy, the Art Ross, the Ted Lindsay, and most importantly, in 2016 he won the Hart Memorial Trophy, the league’s MVP honor.

In the 2017-18 NHL season, Kane was named one of the league’s 100 greatest players in a vote from a panel commissioned by the NHL for its centennial celebration. Kane was one of just six active players to get that honor, and at 28, he was the youngest player on the list.

In his third season with Detroit, Kane is still a valuable contributor in a complementary role. He’s tied for fourth on the team in assists (24) despite ranking 15th in time on ice and after missing 15 games. His 2.1 assists per 60 minutes are not far off the 2.2 A/60 he averaged during his MVP season in 2015-16.

The Red Wings are Kane’s third team, with the bulk of that spent with the Chicago Blackhawks from 2007-23. He also spent some time with the New York Rangers in 2023, as he played 19 games for one of the teams from his home state. Kane was born and raised in Buffalo but also spent some time in Detroit before joining the Red Wings as he played minor league hockey in the city.

After Thursday’s game, Kane’s 1,375 points come from 875 assists and an even 500 goals. He still has a ways to go to surpass Modano for most goals by a U.S.-born player (561), but Kane’s sights are on adding a fourth Stanley Cup Finals win to his résumé. His Red Wings are well-positioned as the playoffs approach—Detroit’s 70 points are just two behind the 72 held by the Eastern Conference-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.