By Jupiter Polevoi
Evander Kane is one of the best scoring forwards the San Jose Sharks have ever had. However, that only counts on the ice. Off the ice, it’s a different story for the East Vancouver native. In 2019, it was revealed that he failed to pay back Las Vegas casino credit and was sued by those casinos in court. In addition, his estranged wife tweeted that he was a bad husband, bad father, and bet on games he participated in. The league investigated whether he bet on games, yet he was cleared.
With these issues in San Jose, it’s no wonder that his stops in Atlanta/Winnipeg and Buffalo were short, with the fans and organizations happy to see him go. While the domestic and casino issues have garnered the most press, he has had several minor to moderate run-ins with the law.
Because Kane was cleared of the gambling issues prior to the season and the Sharks expected him to continue his scoring ways in the 21-22 season. He even seemingly showed up to camp fully vaccinated, as the league mandated. Unfortunately, there was a small problem. Apparently, the vaccination card that he presented to the organization was phoney. Although he claimed to be fully vaccinated, something appeared wrong with the documentation. Both the Sharks and the league investigated, and the results were indeed a fake vaccination card. This cost Kane a 21 game suspension, without pay. It also cost the San Jose Sharks 21 games without one of their top scorers. Although it is a lengthy suspension, it is not the first time the league has taken action against Kane.
Like most San Jose Shark fans, I was excited to see Kane join the club in 2017. Seeing him in action on the ice was always a pleasure, but after hearing how horrible of a teammate and all around person he is, it was quite disappointing to me, and many fans across the board. Off the ice, hockey players are known to be high character athletes, however, Evander Kane seems to be the odd one out. Atlanta/Winnipeg, Buffalo, and the Sharks have already seen enough out of Kane. Some would argue that performance is greater than character in a professional sports setting, but many would disagree. What is his next step? Will we ever see him in a Sharks uniform again?