Evander Kane Eyes Milestone: 1,000 Games as Canucks Coach Foote Supports His Journey

As the 2025-26 NHL season draws to a close, Evander Kane’s pursuit of his 1,000th regular-season game has taken center stage. The 34-year-old forward, who was drafted in 2009, finds himself just nine games shy of this significant milestone, needing to participate in half of the remaining 18 games to reach the coveted mark in his 16th season.

Kane’s journey to 1,000 games has been complicated by an upper-body injury that sidelined him for Monday’s matchup. However, hope is on the horizon as he returned to the ice on Wednesday, practicing alongside teammates Elias Pettersson and Drew O’Connor. After the session, Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote shared his thoughts on Kane’s impending milestone, emphasizing his desire to see the veteran achieve this goal.

“I want to see him get that,” Foote stated. “You know, I mean, that’s something. Who knows what Kanner is going to do moving forward? I’m talking about what he wants to do. If he wants to continue to play after this. I’m sure he does. But you always want a player to reach those goals, for sure. So that’s a great thing to hang your hat on.”

If Kane remains healthy and in the lineup, he is set to play his 1,000th game on March 30 in Las Vegas. Players who reach this milestone are traditionally honored with a silver stick, a testament to their longevity and success in the league. This season has already seen several players, including Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Brenden Dillon, and Roman Josi, celebrate their 1,000th games.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.