Patrick Kane received some helpful advice from Mike Modano early in his career about adapting to professional hockey. They now share the NHL record for most points among U.S.-born players.
* Rasmus Dahlin became the League’s latest defenseman with a three-goal game and recorded the NHL’s 28th hat trick since Jan. 1, tying February 1981 for the second most in a calendar month behind December 1985 (29).
* Wednesday’s three-game slate opens with first “Battle of New York” involving new Islanders forward Ondrej Palat followed by Columbus hosting Philadelphia on TNT as well as Colorado visiting Ottawa on Sportsnet.
Kane ties Modano for most points by a U.S.-born player in LEAGUE history
Patrick Kane had an assist versus longtime opponent Drew Doughty and the Kings to reach 1,374 career points and tie Mike Modano as the NHL’s all-time scoring leader among U.S.-born players, a title Modano has held since tallying twice against San Jose more than 18 years ago on Nov. 7, 2007.
* Kane has 36 points in 42 career games versus Doughty dating to Nov. 29, 2008. The pair were also pitted against each other during the 2013 and 2014 Western Conference Final – Kane capped a hat trick with the double-overtime clincher in Game 5 of the first series en route to winning his second of three Stanley Cups over a six-season span.
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* Kane can pass Modano when the Red Wings host Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals tomorrow (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+, Hulu). It will mark the first game to feature the NHL’s all-time leader in points among U.S.-born players (outright or tied) and the League record holder for goals since March 24, 1997, when Joe Mullen and the Penguins played Wayne Gretzky and the Rangers.
Dahlin delivers League’s latest hat trick by a defenseman this season
Rasmus Dahlin (3-2—5) recorded his first career hat trick and second five-point game (also Jan. 7, 2023) as the Sabres (30-17-5, 65 points) maintained their hold on third place in the Atlantic Division by improving to 19-3-1 since Dec. 9, 2025. Dahlin became the seventh defenseman in franchise history with a three-goal game and first since Rasmus Ristolainen (Dec. 10, 2015).
* Dahlin became the 11th Swedish blueliner in NHL history to reach the 400-point milestone and the third fastest among that group (557 GP) behind Borje Salming (489 GP) and Dahlin’s soon-to-be Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 teammate Erik Karlsson (498 GP). Dahlin’s noteworthy performance came after the Maple Leafs celebrated the upcoming 50-year anniversary of Darryl Sittler’s NHL-record 10-point game as well as Sittler’s teammates that night (Feb. 7, 1976), which included the late Salming.
* Dahlin scored the fifth hat trick by a defenseman this season, fourth this month and third over a four-day span (also Mattias Ekholm on Jan. 26 & Evan Bouchard on Jan. 24). The five three-goal games by blueliners are tied for the second highest single-season total in NHL history (w/ 2010-11, 1982-83, 1981-82, 1971-72 & 1919-20) behind 1974-75 (9).
Photo via X/@BuffaloSabres
BRUINS EXTEND HOME WIN STREAK AS NHL STADIUM SERIES APPROACHES
With just four days remaining before the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series, the Bruins (31-20-3, 65 points) joined their outdoor opponent by continuing their string of success with an eighth straight home win – thanks to David Pastrnak’s goal 13 seconds into overtime – and have one game remaining (Jan. 28 vs. PHI) before clashing with the Lighting at Raymond James Stadium; Tampa Bay – 6-0-0 in its past six home games – also has one contest remaining before the event (Jan. 29 vs. WPG).
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* The Lightning (10-1-1, 21 points) and Bruins (10-2-1, 21 points) share the most wins among all teams since the calendar flipped to 2026. Tampa Bay and Boston reached a double-digit win total in a single calendar month for the 16th and 13th time, respectively, since 2013-14; Minnesota (14x) and NY Rangers (13x) are the only clubs with as high a total during that span.
* Morgan Geekie (1-0—1) and Pastrnak (1-1—2) each found the back of the net as the former reached the 30-goal mark for the second time in as many seasons and the Olympic-bound Czech forward joined outdoor opponent, Nikita Kucherov (21 in 12 GP), as the second player with 20 assists this month. Overall, Pastrnak became the fourth different player in franchise history with a 20-assist month and first since Ray Bourque (20 in March 1991).
NHL TO TRANSFORM RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM INTO HOCKEY-THEMED TREASURE MAP
The NHL released a rendering of the field design for the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series outdoor game between the Lightning and Bruins at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Feb. 1 (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, SN, TVAS; NHL in ASL on ESPN+, Sportsnet+).
* Tampa’s rich pirate history will be the theme for the field design and game presentation, with the rink sitting atop a treasure map dotted with hockey-themed landmarks, paths and clues in celebration of the Gasparilla Pirate Fest. Surrounding the rink are remains of shipwrecks, sea creatures and, in a nod to the city’s biggest annual event, floats from the Gasparilla Parade of the Pirates.
DEFENSEMEN DELIVER AS THREE-GOAL RALLIES HIGHLIGHT CENTRAL DIVISION WINS
Three-goal comebacks highlighted victories from the Wild (30-14-10, 70 points) and Stars (30-14-9, 69 points) as Minnesota erased a three-goal deficit en route to a shootout win and Dallas withstood a three-goal comeback attempt by St. Louis to capture its 30th win of the season.
* Quinn Hughes (0-1—1) factored on the second of three straight goals in regulation and extended his assist streak to six games – one shy of the longest by a defenseman in franchise history (Jared Spurgeon: 7 GP in 2021-22 & Ryan Suter: 7 GP in 2013-14). His 18 assists are the third most among all players this month and already the most by a player in a single month in franchise history.
* The Blues scored three third-period goals in a span of 12:35 to draw even, but Thomas Harley scored a go-ahead goal with 1:07 remaining in regulation to help the third-place Stars keep pace with the second-place Wild in the Central Division. Harley (also 59:55 on March 4, 2025) became the first defenseman in franchise history with multiple go-ahead goals within the final 90 seconds of regulation, and the fourth active blueliner to do so alongside Shea Theodore (3x), Drew Doughty (2x) and Charlie McAvoy (2x).
Celebrini collecting FOUR points in hometown featured in Live Updates
Tuesday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured more notes from the 10-game slate. Some highlights include:
* Cole Caufield continued his scoring ways in Montreal’s overtime win by extending his goal streak to a career-best six games and reached the 30-goal plateau for the second straight season. Caufield tied Max Domi (6 GP in 2019-20) and Max Pacioretty (6 GP in 2014-15) for the longest goal streak by a Canadiens player through the past 30 years and became the fifth Montreal skater in the past 25 years to post consecutive 30-goal campaigns – the only player among that five with more is Pacioretty (4 from 2013-14 – 2016-17).
* Nick Schmaltz opened the scoring by becoming the fifth different Mammoth player this season with a shorthanded goal – tied with the Ducks, Islanders and Canucks for the most among all teams – in Utah’s 4-3 victory over Florida. The Mammoth earned 10 wins in a month for the first time in franchise history and tied the Lightning and Bruins for the most wins this January.
* Macklin Celebrini (1-3—4) eclipsed the 50-assist mark and forged his fourth career four-point game to tie Jimmy Carson for the fourth most by a teenager in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky (14), Sidney Crosby (8) and Dale Hawerchuk (7). The Sharks (27-21-3, 57 points) maintained their hold on the Western Conference’s final Wild Card spot.-28013110.png)
QUICK CLICKS
* Gary Bettman‘s run as NHL Commissioner unrivaled in sports
* Marcus Johansson, Hampus Lindholm added to Team Sweden roster for Olympics
* Connor McDavid visits junior high as impact of Ben Stelter School Fundraiser continues to grow
* Foligno Face-Off returns to raise more money for breast cancer research
* Winners of the 2026 NHL Hockey Innovation Competition Presented by SAP Recognized
METROPLITAN DIVISION SHOWDOWN TAKES CENTER STAGE WEDNESDAY
A three-game Wednesday slate features a Metropolitan Division showdown that pits Trevor Zegras and the Flyers (24-18-9, 57 points) against Zach Werenski and the Blue Jackets (24-20-7, 55 points) broadcast nationally in the United States (TNT, HBO MAX, truTV). North of the border, Nathan MacKinnon (38-50—88 in 50 GP) will look to become the second player to reach the 90-point mark this season when the League-leading Avalanche (35-6-9, 79 points) clash with the Senators (24-21-7, 55 points) on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
#NHLSTATS MEMOS TO MILAN: FROM TEAMMATES TO RIVALS IN TWO WEEKS
With two weeks until the opening games of the men’s hockey tournament in Milan, eight of 12 nations set to partake will be represented by players competing during tonight’s three-game NHL slate – including teammates who will soon go head-to-head for gold.
* Team Denmark goaltender Mads Sogaard claimed his first NHL win in 15 months Sunday (7-1 W vs. Pacific Division-leading VGK) and will compete alongside Senators teammate Lars Eller when that country makes its first appearance at Olympics with NHL players. They will face Ottawa teammates in their first two games: their opener Feb. 12 against Tim Stützle (Team Germany) and Valentine’s Day versus two-time Olympian Jake Sanderson (2022) and captain Brady Tkachuk of Team USA.
* Team Latvia will be part of Olympics with NHL players for the fifth time (also 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014) and could turn to Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins in net for their tournament opener Feb. 12 against Group C foe Team USA – whose roster features his NHL teammate Zach Werenski. Merzlikins was picked at the 2014 NHL Draft in Philadelphia, where he became the highest-drafted Latvian goaltender in NHL history (No. 76 in 2014) – just four months after his country reached the quarterfinals to secure its best-ever finish in men’s hockey at any Olympics (8th in 2014).
* The Flyers have three Olympians: defensemen Travis Sanheim (Team Canada) and Rasmus Ristolainen (Team Finland), as well as goaltender Dan Vladar (Team Czechia). Sanheim and Vladar will compete for Group A supremacy, including a head-to-head matchup in each country’s opener Feb. 12 (9:40 a.m. ET). Vladar is set to become the first goaltender to represent the Flyers at the Olympics since 2006, when Antero Niittymaki shared the tournament lead with five wins to help Team Finland secure a silver medal and Robert Esche made one appearance for Team USA.
* The new pages on Records.NHL.com include more stats from the five prior Olympics with NHL players, while the #NHLStats Pack for the Olympics complements the new site with an abundance of information on the 2026 rosters.
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