Patrick Kane passes Housley, and he did it on Bedard's goal

The record is nice, and it was always coming. The goal it came on is the whole point.

Patrick Kane became the NHL's all-time assist leader among American-born players on Thursday, and the puck went to Connor Bedard. Chicago paid Kane $16 million over two years in July to do exactly that: hand the franchise's next star the puck in the right spot, a few hundred more times, before he's done.

One week into Bedard's season, the plan is working.

The record

Kane's 895th career assist came on Bedard's power-play goal at 8:11 of the first period against Winnipeg. It was Bedard's first goal of the season. It moved Kane past Phil Housley's 894.

The gap in games is the real flex: Kane got there in his 1,377th game, while Housley needed 1,496 to reach his total. That's 119 fewer games, which is roughly a season and a half of Tuesday nights in Winnipeg.

He wasn't done. Kane picked up No. 896 on Artyom Levshunov's winner, 1:37 into overtime, and the Blackhawks beat the Jets 4-3. Bedard had the other assist on that one.

"Phil Housley's a guy my dad grew up watching," Kane said.

The resume

Kane now has 509 goals and 1,405 points. He passed Mike Modano as the top American-born scorer in January, so he owns both lists now. He's 37, in his 20th season, and back where he won three Stanley Cups.

Here's the Ferda number, per NHL data: Kane has five points in eight games this season, four of them in his last five, while playing 19:27 a night. Bedard has three points in his two games. Small sample, but the two of them are already doing what the front office pictured on the whiteboard in July.

Chicago is 3-5-0 and has won two straight. That's not a playoff team yet, but it's finally a team with a reason to watch on a random Thursday in October.

The Ferda take

The cynical read on bringing Kane home was a farewell tour with merch. The better read is that a young center with thin help needed a winger who sees the ice like he does, and there was exactly one of those available in Chicago's price range.

Kane isn't here to carry the Blackhawks anymore. He's here to make this Bedard season look like the opening chapter of the next contender instead of the closing credits of the last one.

Next up is Dallas on Saturday. Our call: Kane gets to 900 before Halloween, and Bedard is on the end of at least two of them.