Does anyone remember how Modano set the record himself?
Modano entered the 2007-08 season with 1,226 points, six behind Phil Housley.
To promote the passing of the torch, Modano attended a media event at the Empire Hotel in New York with Housley and the previous record holder, Joe Mullen. Another player was invited, an 18-year-old kid who had been selected No. 1 by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2007 NHL Draft. His name? Patrick Kane.
Modano had five points (two goals, three assists) in his first 11 games for the Dallas Stars, putting him on the verge of history.
Then he went three games in a row without a point, the first two at home.
“I think the chase was fun, and then you get down to the last few,” Modano told NHL.com earlier this season. “Then everyone’s mind is on it. Everyone’s asking about it, talking about it. It becomes a little bit more emphasized on a day-to-day basis when you get down to those single digits.
“I was dying to try to get it done in Dallas with the fans at home. But as it goes on, you’re like, ‘Oh, let’s just get this thing done. Wherever, however it gets done, let’s just move on.’”
Finally, Modano passed Housley by scoring two goals in a 3-1 win at the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 7, 2007.
“It was a bit of a relief,” Modano said.
Kane might have set the record by now. He entered the season with 1,343 points, 31 behind Modano, and had 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in his first 24 games.
But he has missed 15 games with injuries, most recently a six-game absence because of an upper-body injury. Since returning on Dec. 28, Kane has eight points (two goals, six assists) in 15 games.
Both goals came in one game, a 5-1 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 8. The second was the 500th of his career.