Patrick Kane had a second-period assist against longtime opponent Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals to pass Mike Modano as the NHL’s all-time points leader among U.S.-born players.
* The Hurricanes overcame a two-goal deficit in the final two minutes of regulation en route to a historic comeback win while Brandon Bussi set an NHL mark with his 20th career victory. Hours later, the Oilers earned a three-goal, third-period comeback win, including scoring twice in the final four minutes, as Carolina and Edmonton combined for a rarity.
* The Bruins and Lightning – the top two teams since the calendar flipped to 2026 and the two clubs facing off in the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series – both earned wins in their final game before clashing outdoors.
* A one-game Friday will feature Zach Werenski and the Blue Jackets visiting Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks.
Kane PASSES Modano for most points by a U.S.-born player in NHL history
Patrick Kane had a second-period assist against fellow No. 1 pick Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals to reach 1,375 career points and pass Mike Modano as the NHL’s all-time scoring leader among U.S.-born players, a title Modano had held since tallying twice versus San Jose more than 18 years ago on Nov. 7, 2007. 
* Kane passed Modano for the sixth-highest point total by a No. 1 pick in League history and most out of the eight U.S.-born first-overall picks in the NHL Draft. That group includes ESPN analyst Erik Johnson, who was between the benches at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday and interviewed Kane post-game.
* Click the link below to read several more notes on Kane, who celebrated with his teammates and was cheered on by his family after the record-breaking point. Kane also received a heartfelt message from Modano just a few days after the pair reconnected in Minnesota.
#NHLStats Pack: Patrick Kane Sets League Record for Most Points by a U.S.-Born Player
HURRICANES PULL OFF HISTORIC COMEBACK IN DYING MINUTES OF REGULATION…
Trailing 4-2 with less than two minutes to play in regulation, Andrei Svechnikov, Shayne Gostisbehere and Jordan Staal each scored in a span of 1:29 to help the Hurricanes pull off a rare comeback against the Mammoth. Carolina, which began its rally with 1:59 remaining in the third period, earned its third-latest multi-goal comeback victory in franchise history following Dec. 18, 2007 (58:35; 3-2 OT W vs. TOR) and Jan. 27, 2023 (58:23; 5-4 OT W vs. SJS).
* Brandon Bussi earned the win and improved to 20-3-1 (24 GP) in his NHL career. Bussi became the fastest goaltender in League history to earn 20 career wins, besting the previous mark shared by Andrew Hammond (25 GP from 2013-14 to 2014-15) and Bill Durnan (25 GP in 1943-44).
…HOURS BEFORE OILERS’ THREE-GOAL, THIRD-PERIOD COMEBACK WIN
Leon Draisaitl (1-2—3) factored on all three of Edmonton’s goals in the third period, including Evan Bouchard’s tying tally at 59:01, before Connor McDavid (1-1—2) set up Zach Hyman for the overtime winner. The Oilers (28-19-8, 64 points) recorded the 11th three-goal, third-period comeback victory in franchise history for their third straight win.
* Bouchard’s first point of the night joined him with Paul Coffey (14x; most: 29 in Dec. 1985) as the second defenseman in Oilers history to record 20 points in a calendar month, while his second made him the eighth player in franchise history to score multiple career game-tying goals in the final minute of regulation – he is the only blueliner on that list.
* After McDavid scored the second goal in Edmonton’s rally, he factored on the overtime winner and became the first player this season with 60 helpers. The Oilers captain became the fifth player in NHL history to record 10 career 60-assist campaigns, joining Wayne Gretzky (17), Coffey (11), Ray Bourque (10) and Adam Oates (10).
* Edmonton earned the 35th multi-goal third-period comeback win of 2025-26 after Carolina earned the 34th, which is the third most at this stage of a season (856 GP) in NHL history. The only campaigns with more: 2022-23 (41) and 2019-20 (37).
BRUINS, LIGHTNING WIN FINAL GAME BEFORE STADIUM SERIES
The Bruins and Lightning both earned wins in their final game before the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series (Feb. 1, 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, SN & TVAS). Boston and Tampa Bay will enter Sunday’s contest after having posted 11 wins in the month of January, which currently is tied for the most among all teams over that span.
* Fraser Minten (1-2—3) recorded his second career three-point game in Boston’s six-goal outing – both of which have come this month – and scored his 14th goal of 2025-26, which is tied for the third most among rookies this season behind Anaheim’s Beckett Sennecke (18) and Montreal’s Oliver Kapanen (16). Minten will enter the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series with points in five of his past seven games – the record for most points by a rookie in an outdoor game is three, achieved twice – both at the 2017 Centennial Classic (Anthony Mantha & Connor Brown).
* Nikita Kucherov (1-1—2) tallied his League-leading 30th and 31st point since the calendar flipped to 2026 and passed Vincent Lecavalier (383) for sole possession of second place on the Lightning’s all-time goals list behind Steven Stamkos (555). Kucherov tied his career high for points in a calendar month (also 31 in April 2022) – only two players in the past 30 years have had more in one month: Connor McDavid (34 in December 2025) and Stamkos (33 in April 2022).
TRENDS ON DISPLAY DURING 15-GAME THURSDAY
On one of the busiest nights of the 2025-26 schedule and with exactly one week remaining until the NHL breaks when players head to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, there were a number of notable trends on display:
Hat tricks
* With the help of a three-goal performance by Alex Tuch, Thursday marked the League’s eighth consecutive day with a hat trick, which is tied for the second-longest streak in NHL history (also 8 from Dec. 30, 1975 – Jan. 6, 1976) behind a pair of nine-day stretches from April 3-11, 2021 and Oct. 11-19, 1988. The Sabres have two hat tricks over that streak, with Rasmus Dahlin netting three the game prior (Jan. 27 at TOR) – Buffalo recorded a hat trick in consecutive contests for just the second time in the past 30 years, following Dec. 4-6, 2002 (Curtis Brown & Miroslav Satan).
Overtime
* The Devils, Capitals, Oilers and Stars all needed overtime to earn wins Thursday. There have now been 221 games that have required extra time in 2025-26 which is the most at this stage of a season in NHL history (856 GP), surpassing 2013-14 and 2003-04 (both w/ 217).
Scoring by 18-year-olds
* Matthew Schaefer (NYI), Ben Kindel (PIT) and Michael Misa (SJS) combined for the second day in the past 40 years to feature as many 18-year-olds score, joining Feb. 5, 2019 when Jesperi Kotkaniemi (MTL), Rasmus Dahlin (BUF) and Andrei Svechnikov (CAR) found the back of the net. Schaefer’s goal allowed him to tie Vladimir Malakhov (14 in 1992-93) for the second most in a season by an Islanders rookie defenseman behind Denis Potvin (17 in 1973-74).
Scoring by defensemen
* A total of 16 defensemen scored Thursday, bringing January’s total goals in the month by blueliners to 227, which is the fourth most in single calendar month behind March 2018 (239), April 2022 (237) and March 2023 (230). Quinn Hughes has contributed to that total, but collected an assist Thursday, which extended his streak to seven games and improved his numbers with Minnesota to 2-25—27 (23 GP). He tied Paul Coffey (23 GP w/ PIT) and Sergei Zubov (23 GP w/ PIT) as the fastest defenseman in NHL history to record 25 assists with a franchise.
CELEBRINI SHINES IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
Notes from the full 15-game slate can be found in Thursday’s #NHLStats: Live Updates. A standout stat was courtesy of Macklin Celebrini, who recorded his 90th career assist and became the second-fastest player to reach the mark with the Sharks (122 GP), behind only Joe Thornton (79 GP).
NHL, NHLPA, LIGHTNING PRESERVE SHORE IN A.M., EXPAND ADAPTIVE HOCKEY IN P.M.
This morning, the NHL and Lightning joined special operations veterans to help preserve a living shoreline at Mac Dill Air Force Base. Joined by Tampa Bay alumni Mathieu Garon, Tyler Johnson, Glen Metropolit, and Freddy Modin, more than 30 volunteers moved six tons of oyster shells and placed 40 concrete oyster reef buoys, each weighing upwards of 150 pounds, to help preserve a hockey-length section of shoreline.
Later that same day, the League, Lightning and NHLPA announced plans to expand six disciplines of adaptive hockey in the Tampa Bay area: Warrior/veterans hockey, Sled hockey, blind hockey, Deaf/hard of hearing hockey, Special hockey, and standing/amputee hockey. The NHL Unites Legacy Project welcomed nearly 50 participants at the Power Pole Arena & Lightning Made Training Center to learn and try various forms of hockey.
QUICK CLICKS
* Golden Knights to play Stars at 2027 Stadium Series in Dallas
* Stadium Series rink build getting huge boost from cool Florida weather, structure
* Gavin McKenna ready for Hockey Valley frenzy in Penn State’s outdoor game at Beaver Stadium
* CHL notebook: Jake O’Brien, Kashawn Aitcheson among top OHL performers this season
* Patrick Kane reflects on ‘special, special moment’ in passing Mike Modano
Friday’s LONE GAME HAS BLUE JACKETS BATTLING BLACKHAWKS ON SPORTSNET
Friday features Zach Werenski and the Blue Jackets visiting Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada as well as NHL Network in the U.S. Werenski, who is spotlighted in the latest #NHLStats Memos to Milan below, took the outright scoring lead among defensemen Wednesday before Evan Bouchard recorded a three-point outing Thursday to surpass him.
#NHLSTATS MEMOS TO MILAN: WERENSKI TO BUILD OFF 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF SUCCESS
With 13 days remaining until Team USA plays its first game of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, #NHLStats looks at Zach Werenski ahead of the Blue Jackets visiting the Blackhawks in one of their final games before Werenski heads to Italy.
* Werenski led all skaters at the 4 Nations Face-Off in assists and points after posting 0-6—6 (4 GP). He was one of just two players who recorded points in all of his team’s games alongside Canada’s Connor McDavid (3-2—5 in 4 GP) and is one of eight to do so in all contests at an NHL International Tournament (min. 4 GP).
* At the 4 Nations Face-Off last February, Werenski became the first defenseman in NHL International Tournament history (Canada Cup, World Cup of Hockey, 4 Nations Face-Off) to lead all players outright in points – Canadian blueliners Bobby Orr and Denis Potvin were part of a three-way tie at the 1976 Canada Cup.
* Werenski is currently the Blue Jackets leader in assists, sits second in points and fifth in goals. He is one of 14 Columbus players to represent his country at the Olympic Games and one of two in 2026 alongside goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, who will skate for Team Latvia. He is the only one to represent Team USA.
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