Memorial Cup champion and Giants alum Kane hits 1,000 NHL games

Talk about a 1K(ane) kind of night.

Vancouver Canucks forward and Giants alumnus Evander Kane played his 1,000th NHL game on Monday night.

Though the Canucks would fall 4-2 to the Pacific Division-rival Vegas Golden Knights, there was plenty of reason for Kane to celebrate as he hit the ice for a celebratory warmup solo lap and, later, potted the game-opening goal.

“It was nice to have the support of all the guys,” Kane told reporters postgame. “They were excited for me, which made it special. Getting the first goal of the game was the little cherry on top.”

Kane’s backhand deke marks the 339th goal of his long career.

The 6-foot-2, 218-pound power forward has amassed 648 points (339G-309A) over parts of 17 seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, and, now, his hometown team.

Kane has logged nine 20-plus goal seasons, highlighted by a 30-goal, 27-assist run with the Jets in 2011-12- the club’s first year in Winnipeg since the original Jets relocated to Phoenix at the end of the 1995-96 season.

The 34-year-old is starring for the Canucks less than 15 minutes away from where he plied his trade in the junior ranks with the Vancouver Giants.

He debuted with the G-men as a 15-year-old in a handful of call-up appearances before erupting for 41 points (24G-17A) in 65 games in 2007-08, tying for fourth in goals among all rookies.

In the 2007 WHL Playoffs, Kane suited up for five games- including two appearances in the championship series- to help the Giants reach the final against the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Medicine Hat would take the WHL Championship, but Vancouver got its revenge by defeating the Tabbies in the Memorial Cup Final just weeks later.

NHL scouts paid close attention as Kane dominated with a 96-point (48G-48A) run in 2008-09.

The Atlanta Thrasher selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft.

Kane closed out his WHL career with 138 points (73G-65A) in 135 games over parts of three seasons, while being named to the 2009 WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team.

He ranks 12th in all-time Giants goals, while his 648 NHL points lead all Giants alumni.