On the evening of January 8, 2026, the hockey world witnessed a monumental achievement at Little Caesars Arena. Patrick Kane, the veteran forward for the Detroit Red Wings, officially became the 50th player in NHL history to reach the 500-goal milestone.
The "Showtime" legend delivered a vintage performance against the Vancouver Canucks, leading the Red Wings to a dominant 5-1 victory.
Kane entered the game with 498 career goals. The historic night unfolded in two acts:
Goal No. 499: Late in the first period, Kane capitalized on a 5-on-3 power play, snapping a wrist shot over goalie Kevin Lankinen’s leg pad to open the scoring.
Goal No. 500: With just 3:53 left in the third period, Kane fired the puck into an empty net, sparking an eruption from the Detroit crowd and a bench-clearing celebration by his teammates.
"I’m just kind of relieved to get it over with, to be honest with you," Kane said after the game. "It’s still a really cool feeling, obviously."
This milestone solidifies Kane's status as one of the greatest players to ever lace up skates. Here is where he stands as of January 2026:
| Category | Achievement |
| NHL Rank | 50th player in history to score 500 goals |
| U.S. Born Rank | 5th American-born player to reach 500 goals |
| Active Players | 6th active NHL skater with 500+ goals |
| Career Points | 1,369 points (500G, 869A) in 1,332 games |
Kane joins an elite group of U.S.-born legends including Mike Modano (561), Keith Tkachuk (538), Jeremy Roenick (513), and Joe Mullen (502). He is also the sixth player to reach this mark while wearing a Red Wings jersey, joining greats like Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman.
At 37 years old, Patrick Kane continues to defy age. He is currently only six points away from surpassing Mike Modano (1,374) for the all-time scoring record among American-born players.
Despite facing injury hurdles earlier this season, Kane’s elite shot metrics and power-play presence remain a cornerstone for Detroit’s rhythm as they push toward the 2026 playoffs.
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