Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane has done some remarkable things in his career, and on Wednesday night he joined another exclusive club with a big game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
As Kane and the Blackhawks looked to snap a brief losing streak, they got off to a red-hot start against the defending Stanley Cup champions, scoring four goals in the opening 20 minutes of action. Kane registered two assists in the period, giving him 50 during the regular season.
Thanks to hitting that milestone, Kane has now joined a club that only three other Blackhawks players have ever joined. According to ESPN Stats and Info, Kane is now just the fourth Blackhawks player in history to register four or more 50 assist seasons with the team.
Kane first hit that milestone in his rookie season, notching 51 points in the 2007-08 season. He did it again during the season that saw the Blackhawks win their first Stanley Cup title in nearly 50 years in 2010, and then he hit it again last year en route to becoming the first American-born player to win the Art Ross Trophy for leading the NHL in points.
The other three Blackhawks that have achieved the 50 assist four-peat are three of the biggest names in team history. Jeremy Roenick accomplished it in four straight seasons before he was traded away to Phoenix, and legendary Blackhawks center Stan Mikita notched 50 or more assists on eight different occasions.
Neither player could match what Denis Savard did with the team, however, as he registered 50 or more assists in nine consecutive seasons with the Blackhawks during the early stages of his career.
None of Kane’s teammates are particularly close to joining in him that club, as Jonathan Toews has never hit the 50 assist plateau during his NHL career. Artemi Panarin did come achingly close in his rookie season of 2015-16, notching 47 helpers, and he has 42 this season entering Wednesday’s action.
