Kane gets 500th NHL goal, becomes 5th U.S.-born player to reach milestone

Patrick Kane became the fifth player born in the United States to score 500 goals in the NHL by getting two for the Detroit Red Wings in a 5-1 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday.

Kane reached the milestone by scoring into an empty net to make it 4-1 at 16:07 of the third period. He scored his 499th goal at 19:31 of the first period, giving the Red Wings a 1-0 lead with a wrist shot from the left circle on a 5-on-3 power play.

“I’m Just kind of relieved to get it over with, to be honest with you,” Kane said. “It’s still a really cool feeling, obviously. Coming into tonight at 498 and scoring one in the in the first, and then I’m not usually on the ice when the net is empty. It was nice to get that opportunity and then hear the crowd erupt a little when I got on the ice was pretty cool. And then obviously getting the puck right away and having a chance to put it in the net for 500 was a great feeling.”

The 37-year-old forward joined Mike Modano (561), Keith Tkachuk (538), Jeremy Roenick (513) and Joe Mullen (502) as the only U.S.-born players to score 500 goals. He also became the sixth skater to reach the milestone while playing for the Red Wings, joining Gordie Howe (March 14, 1962, at the New York Rangers), Dino Ciccarelli (Jan. 8, 1994, at the Los Angeles Kings), Steve Yzerman (Jan. 17, 1996, against the Colorado Avalanche), Pat Verbeek (March 22, 2000, against the Calgary Flames) and Brendan Shanahan (March 23, 2002, at the Avalanche).

Kane’s 500 goals are sixth-most among active NHL skaters, behind Alex Ovechkin (915), Sidney Crosby (649), Steven Stamkos (600), Evgeni Malkin (523) and John Tavares (509). With his 499th goal, he also passed Glenn Anderson for 50th in NHL history.

When asked after the game if he remembered his first NHL goal, which came on Oct. 19, 2007, Kane said: “Yep. I was with Patrick Sharp on a 2-on-1 against Colorado, and he put it under the defenseman’s stick and I shot it over Jose Theodore’s glove. I remember that for sure.”