Photo: NHL
On October 4, 2007, Patrick Kane made his NHL debut as the first draft pick. The Blackhawks chose Kane over fellow American James Vanreimsdyk in 2007, solidifying their core for the next decade and a half.
It’s hard to argue with the idea that he could be considered the best US born player to ever play in the NHL. Patrick Kane helped change American hockey because he was…. Superman.
Patrick Kane’s list of accomplishments is unquestionably Hall of Fame worthy. He was the face of the Blackhawks’ golden age of hockey and it is far from over. The list is already impressive, but progressing towards becoming legendary.
In the pursuit of 1K, let’s take a look at some other big numbers in Patrick Kane’s career.
# 1
While it’s a well-known fact, let’s get back to where Patrick Kane was selected in the NHL Draft. Kane was the number one pick in 2007, becoming the franchise’s co-face with Jonathan Toews. Patrick Kane was drafted into the Ontario Hockey League where he played for the London Knights. He was named the league’s rookie of the year and finalist for the MVP award in his draft season.
2.5
2.5 was the points per game played ratio that Patrick Kane posted in his only season with the London Knights. Kane has 145 points (62 goals, 83 assists) in 58 games.
His only performance of the Canadian junior season earned him the No. 1 overall pick and established himself to become a hockey legend in the United States. However, let’s not anticipate too quickly yet.
72
There is one player that people associate with # 72, but 72 has another meaning for Kane. In this case, that’s the point total Kane posted in his Rookie of the Year season.
Kane won the Calder League Rookie of the Year Trophy by inspiring rookies to score. The former first overall pick defeated Nicklas Backstrom and teammate Jonathan Toews for the prize, with the two players finishing second and third respectively.
106
106 for Patrick Kane is synonymous with the terms Art Ross, Ted Lindsay and Hart. In 2015-16, Patrick Kane had a magical season, leading the league in scoring and winning numerous honors that season. Kane teamed up well with new addition Artemi Panarain that season, achieving one of the greatest individual seasons for an American in NHL history.
As well as being the league’s leading scorer, Kane beat Sidney Crosby and Jamie Benn in the Hart Memorial Trophy vote. Winning the Lindsay Award was also quite an accomplishment, as the NHL Players’ Association voted for the award. Kane was voted best player by the press and his peers.
8
Eight is good, and not just the number repeated on the back of Kane’s shirt. 8 is the number of trophies Kane has in his NHL award collection. Kane’s first trophy was the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 2007. He added all three of his MVP season trophies (Hart, Ted Lindsay, Art Ross), and also added a Conn Symthe trophy in 2013 on his way to his second Stanley Cup. . Oh, the cups! Yeah, he’s got three, don’t forget.
If you include Kane’s international career, you can add five major accolades to his resume. Kane won the gold medal at the 2006 World Under-18 Championships in Sweden for the US team. Kane also won a bronze medal in Sweden for the 2007 World Championships, a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships in Denmark and a silver medal at the 2010 Olympics as a member of the USA team.
Not only did Kane lead the United States team as captain to the bronze medal in 2018, he also won the tournament MVP after pacing the tournament with 20 points in ten games.
Eight is also the number of hat tricks Kane has achieved in his career.
9
Patrick Kane has been named NHL Star nine times during his career. He has been a staple of the event throughout his career.
1,060
Entering the game on Tuesday night, Patrick Kane has recorded 1,060 career points in 999 games. He just scored his 400th career goal. It’s hard to imagine Kane going useless on such a big night, but for now it’s 1,060. By the end of the season, Kane could be flirting with 1,100, given that he’s on the cusp of 82 points in 56 games to date. That said, Kane still has a lot of good hockey and that points total will only increase.
3
Three is a number Patrick Kane is surely hoping for changes before the end of his career. Three is the current number of Stanley Cups Patrick Kane has won. Kane scored the overtime-winning goal against the Flyers in the 2010 Stanley Cup, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy in the 2013 Stanley Cup race and, after returning from injury, helped the Hawks win in 2015.
It’s debatable whether or not the Blackhawks win those Stanley Cups without Patrick Kane, but that’s a thought for another day.
88
Ah yes, the famous jersey number. Kane wore 88 at the time with the London Knights because some players, like Sam Gagner, wore their numbers to reflect their year of birth. Kane was born in 1988 which made the decision to wear an 88 quite easy.
Kane brought that number to the NHL and made 88 famous not just in Chicago, but across the country. 88 will long be synonymous with American hockey, as up-and-coming players continue to idolize Kane.
1000
1,000 games. What’s amazing is that Kane will take this step before he turns 33. Kane has played his best hockey in the past few seasons, which suggests that Kane can play at a high level for years to come.
Congratulations to Patrick Kane for 1,000 career games. He is only the 353rd player to cross this milestone in the NHL. Plus, Kane has played every game with the Blackhawks.
1000 games is just another stop on the way to the Hall of Fame and the rafters of the United Center. He would go on to become one of the greatest to ever wear the Blackhawks jersey.
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