What Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane said after tallying most ever assists by US-born player
Patrick Kane added another milestone to his legendary career on Thursday night, recording his 895th and 896th National Hockey League assists.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane made even more history Thursday night, further strengthening his case as the greatest American hockey player of all time.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion recorded his 895th and 896th career assists, helping the Hawks defeat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in overtime.
In the process, he passed Phil Housley for the all-time assists lead among American-born players.
“Phil Housley’s a guy my dad grew up watching, and my dad wore No. 6 when he was younger and Housley wore No. 6 for the Sabres,” Kane told reporters afterwards, including NHL.com’s Bruce Miles.
“Obviously I’ve gotten to know him over the years through different USA stuff. Always a guy I looked up to. He’s an amazing player. I guess you play long enough you get the opportunities to achieve things like this, so it’s pretty special.”
Kane continues to climb the NHL’s all-time scoring ranks. He sits 24th in career points and leads all players born in the United States.
You could already make an argument he’s the best player born in the country, and it looks like he still has a couple of productive seasons ahead of him.
That’s especially true if he continues playing on Connor Bedard’s wing. The franchise cornerstone scored and added an assist Thursday, and the Hawks have won both games since his return from shoulder surgery Tuesday.
The top line of Bedard, Kane and Russian rookie Roman Kantserov has produced eight combined points in two games together and will continue driving the bus for Chicago, which is now 3-5-0.
“Yeah, I think it’s a big deal,” head coach Jeff Blashill said of the club’s second consecutive victory, per Miles. “You get to overtime and there’s certainly chance that plays into overtime. That’s reality but they are points.
“We talked about it last year. We had a poor record once we got past regulation, and we need a better record than that. So this is a good step that way. I think the win is a big deal.”
After a brutal start to the season, the Blackhawks have taken a step toward getting back on track. They’ll need Bedard and Kane to keep leading the charge as they try to build momentum in 2026-27.
Up next for Chicago is a visit from the Dallas Stars on Saturday night as a six-game homestand continues.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane made even more history Thursday night, further strengthening his case as the greatest American hockey player of all time. The three-time Stanley Cup champion recorded his 895th and 896th career assists, helping the Hawks defeat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in overtime.
