Mike Modan0’s congratulations to Patrick Kane for replacing him as the highest-scoring American-born NHLer included his hope that Kane make it even harder for the next guy to break it.
But a look at USA’s active all-time scoring list suggests that Kane’s ability to hold the record as long as Modano probably depends as much on Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews or maybe Vegas Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel than it does Kane.
Modano held the record for 18 years and 83 days. The Michigan native was playing for the Dallas Stars when he scored two goals against the San Jose Sharks to break Phil Housley’s mark on Nov. 7, 2007. At the time, Modano had 1,233 points in 1,253 games. When he retired after playing a final season for the Detroit Red Wings in 2010-11, Modano’s points total was 1,374 in 1,499 games.