This week in the NHL: It’s showtime for Patrick Kane in Detroit

So many games. So little time. What should you focus your NHL hockey fandom on if your favorite team’s games don’t scratch the itch enough?

Welcome to This Week in the NHL. From now until April, we’ll lay out a collection of key games, events and deadlines to watch on the league calendar each week.

So what’s on tap for Dec. 4-10?

Dec. 4: Victor Hedman’s 1,000^th game

Dallas Stars @ Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:00 p.m. ET

He’s a Norris Trophy winner, a two-time Stanley Cup champ, a Conn Smythe Trophy winner and a six-time first- or second-team all-star. So, yeah, Hedman didn’t need a benchmark like 1,000 games to lock himself in as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But it’s one more accolade for his long list. In his 15^th NHL season, he’s averaging the second most points per game of his career.

Dec. 5 (?) Patrick Kane’s debut with Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings @ Buffalo Sabres, 7:30 p.m. ET

Last week, newly signed Kane indicated he needed 7-10 days to feel game ready as he practices with the team and tests out his surgically resurfaced hip. The earliest he could debut would be Tuesday when Detroit visits his hometown Sabres. Alternatively, Kane could suit up at home when Detroit plays Dec. 7 and Dec. 9 this week.

Dec. 5: Hughes brothers, assemble!

New Jersey Devils @ Vancouver Canucks, 10:00 p.m. ET

Luke Hughes, the youngest of the NHL’s brother trifecta, only debuted just before the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, and his Devils haven’t faced the Canucks in cross-conference competition since then. Tuesday marks the first triple Hughes Bowl, with Luke and Jack visiting older brother Quinn. Between the dominance of Quinn and Jack and Luke’s own impressive play as a rookie this season, the family could end up monopolizing some NHL Awards hardware.

Dec. 6: U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame inducts Class of 2023

This year’s inductees: Longtime NHL GM and former NHL player safety czar Brian Burke; two-time Stanley Cup winners Dustin Brown and Jamie Langenbrunner; Olympic gold medalist and longtime Boston College women’s team coach Katie King; and 32-year veteran NHL linesman Brian Murphy.

Dec. 7: Matt Duchene’s 1,000^th game

Dallas Stars @ Washington Capitals, 8:00 p.m. ET

How fitting. Duchene was selected one pick after Hedman in the 2009 NHL draft, and Duchene is slated to play career game No. 1,000 just three days after Hedman does. Duchene isn’t a future Hall of Famer like Hedman but does have more than 300 goals and 700 points to his name in a long and productive career.

John Tavares’ 1,000^th point

It will be 15 years this June since Tavares went first overall in the 2009 NHL Draft. Even if Victor Hedman is the true Hall of Famer of that group, Tavares has come close to justifying his No. 1 overall pick status. He’s just four points away from 1,000 for his career. The Leafs can score in bunches and have three games on the slate this week, so he has a good shot to hit the milestone.

Alex Ovechkin’s 1,500th point

Alexander the GR8 needs just one point to reach 1,500 for his career. Doing so would make him just the 16th player in NHL history to amass that many points. The player directly ahead of him on the leaderboard: Sidney Crosby, of course. After 19 years and endless comparisons to each other, it’s downright poetic to see them side by side in the all-time scoring race.