Kane passes Modano for most points by U.S.-born player - ESPN

DETROIT — Patrick Kane smiled. The wait was over.

Kane became the highest-scoring United States-born player in NHL history, passing Mike Modano with an assist for his 1,375th point on an assist Thursday night for the Detroit Red Wings against the Washington Capitals.

«I could not be more proud for you,» Modano said in a prerecorded message shown on the videoboards at Little Caesars Arena.

Kane passed the puck from the boards to Alex DeBrincat in the left circle, and DeBrincat set up Ben Chiarot for a tying goal from the point midway through the second period.

Kane flashed a grin and hugged Chiarot.

He was surrounded by teammates, including those who emptied the bench to join a brief celebration. As Kane skated away, the spotlight was put on him and he raised his stick to acknowledge the crowd while appearing to be on the verge of tears.

His likeness was shown on the videoboards with an American flag in the background and the number 1,375.

Modano held the mark for 18-plus years. Kane reached the milestone a couple of months after turning 37, while Modano was 40 when he scored a goal to register point No. 1,374, passing Phil Housley.

Kane has been one of the faces of American hockey since getting taken with the first pick in the 2007 draft by Chicago. He helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup three times from 2010-15 as a co-headliner of one of the most successful runs since the league's salary cap era began in '05.

«When you think of USA Hockey, he's one of the first players that comes to mind, if not the first player,» fellow American Jack Eichel said. «Such a great representation of USA Hockey and us Americans — something for a lot of the guys that came after him to strive to be, myself included.»

U.S.-born