The Detroit Red Wings re-signed Patrick Kane this summer, knowing an important milestone was on the horizon. Kane was chasing down the 500-goal milestone, which would make him just the sixth American player to reach the mark. It took a while, but the future Hall of Famer has finally finished the chase.

Kane scored in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, bringing him to 499. Later in the game, Detroit held a 3-1 lead, causing the Canucks to pull their goaltender. With the empty net, Kane slotted home his historic goal in front of a raucous Red Wings crowd.

Kane is one of the most decorated American players to skate in the NHL. The former first-overall pick is a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks. He is in his third season with the Detroit Red Wings after spending half a season with the New York Rangers and 16 seasons with the Blackhawks.

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The future Hall of Famer has been climbing American leaderboards since his arrival in the Motor City. As mentioned, he is the sixth American to score 500 goals. However, only two players — Brett Hull and Mike Modano — have scored more points in their careers than Kane. The Red Wings star is just 22 points away from matching Hull's 1391 career points.

Kane's contributions to the Red Wings this season have been massive. Following Thursday's win, Detroit is tied on points with the Montreal Canadiens for first in the Atlantic Division. They have won seven of their last 10 games and look poised to return to the postseason for the first time in 10 seasons.

Detroit still has work to do, however, with the second half of the season underway. Kane and the Red Wings retake the ice against the Canadiens on January 10 in Montreal.