ST. LOUIS — Patrick Kane will make his ninth career NHL All-Star Game appearance this weekend, putting him at least two ahead of all other active players.
The lighthearted showcase will conclude Kane and the Blackhawks’ highly eventful week, which began Sunday when Kane scored his 1,000th career point, and continued Tuesday when both Kane and the coach who oversaw most of his career — Joel Quenneville — were honored.
Although the 31-year-old wing still has many years of dominance left in him — he’s been open about his drive to play until he’s 40 — this weekend seems like a good time to look back on 10 key moments in Kane’s on-ice career to date.
2007: Drafted 1st overall
After an earth-shattering 145-point season with the OHL’s London Knights — which retired Kane’s jersey last week — Kane was drafted by the Hawks first overall. Neither second pick James van Riemsdyk nor third pick Kyle Turris have scored even half as many points as Kane has in the years since.
2008: Won Calder Trophy
Kane scored just 21 goals in his rookie season — which remains his lowest in a season yet — but added 51 assists and won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie, beating out Nicklas Backstrom and teammate Jonathan Toews.
2009: Cover athlete of NHL 10
After another strong (if unspectacular) 2008-09 season, Kane was chosen as the first Hawks player ever to headline an edition of EA Sports’ popular NHL video game series.
2010: Scored Stanley Cup-winning goal
Kane’s innocent sliding shot that slipped through Flyers goalie Michael Leighton — and, seconds later, was found hidden under the back of the net — will live in Hawks’ lore forever. The goal cemented Kane’s status as a Chicago icon.
2013: Sent Hawks to Cup Finals
Kane’s Cup-winning goal in 2010 may top his list of his 431 career goals (381 regular season, 50 postseason) in terms of historical significance, but his double-overtime, series-ending, hat trick-completing goal in Game 5 of the 2013 Western Conference Finals isn’t far behind. Jonathan Quick never stood a chance.
2014: Signed eight-year contract
Kane and Toews both signed eight-year extensions with the Hawks in July 2014, and their $10.5 million cap hits made them the highest-paid players in hockey at the time. Both have since earned every dollar, too.
2015: Scored Cup-sealing goal
From nearly the same spot on the United Center ice where he defeated the Kings two years prior, Kane buried a 2-on-1 feed from Brad Richards to essentially seal the Hawks’ Cup-clinching Game 6 win over the Lightning.
2016: Won Hart Trophy
Despite his dominant record in the playoffs, Kane — entering 2015-16 — had never produced in the regular season at the same rate as the likes of Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin. That changed that season, when Kane recorded 46 goals and 60 assists to hit the triple-digit point plateau for the first time and win the NHL scoring title.
2020: Scored 1,000th point
After another triple-digit season in 2018-19 — this time a new career high of 110 points — boosted his progress towards 1,000, Kane finally hit the milestone Sunday, making him the 90th player and youngest American ever to do so.
2020: Appearing in ninth All-Star Game
Kane will be the most experienced All-Star in St. Louis this weekend, and has said he continues to enjoy the annual event despite his overwhelming familiarity with it. Catching Gordie Howe and his record 23 All-Star appearances will be difficult, though, to say the least.
