Patrick Kane is making this comeback count and the Red Wings feel it every night

Patrick Kane already climbed the mountain once.

He reached 500 goals on Jan. 8, a number that alone secures a place in hockey’s inner circle. Now, just days later, he’s standing on the edge of another summit — two points away from tying Mike Modano (1,374) for the most points by an American-born player in NHL history.

It’s a milestone that feels heavier than most, because it wasn’t supposed to be possible. Not after the hip surgery that had people around the league quietly wondering if Kane’s career had already written its final chapter. As Detroit Red Wings teammate Andrew Copp put it, “No one had ever come back from that hip. But if anyone could do it, it’d be him.”

That line is more than admiration. It’s a thesis. Kane’s comeback isn’t just about production — though the points are piling up again. It’s about redefining what the second act of a Hall of Fame career can look like.

Copp’s reflection cuts straight to the heart of it: “Obviously he talks about having two acts in his career and to come back after such a significant injury like that and having such an insane first act, the second act’s been pretty good so far.”

And "pretty good" undersells it. Kane didn’t return as a ceremonial legend hanging on for one last ride. He came back as a driver. As a playmaker. As someone who still tilts the ice. And the Red Wings feel it every night.

Patrick Kane is proving there’s still magic left in his game in second act with Red Wings

Read Wings head coach Todd McLellan sees it in the details — the parts fans don’t always notice.

“I talk about his spirit and his passion for the game,” McLellan said. “His understanding of the history of the game and how he can be a storyteller. Then we talk about his presence in the locker room. And then, before the game is played, we have practices and how he commits himself to practice, to getting better.

“And, you know, at that stage of your career you could probably get away with floating through practice every now and then. You’ve probably earned the right to do that. Is it the right thing? No. But he doesn’t choose to do that.”

That’s the difference. That’s why this comeback resonates. Kane doesn’t move like a player trying to protect what’s left. He moves like someone still chasing something. He wants reps. He wants touches. He wants to be on the ice. And when the puck drops, McLellan puts it simply: “Then it’s Showtime.”

For a Red Wings team fighting to reestablish itself as relevant, meaningful and dangerous, Kane’s presence matters in ways that can’t be graphed. He’s proof that excellence isn’t just a phase. It’s a habit. He’s a daily reminder that greatness is work, even when the résumé is already complete.

Every young player in that room gets to watch a legend refuse to coast. Every night, Detroit gets to watch a career that could’ve ended in quiet uncertainty instead become something richer: a second act built on discipline, humility and fire.

Kane is two points from history again. But the real milestone? He came back — and he made it count.