Report: The latest on Kane's gambling investigation, including quotes from NHLers

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T. Tadi
August 3, 2021 (2:49 PM)

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It's all about Evander Kane and his messy public divorce from wife Anna Kane in the latest NHL offseason soap opera. Anna has claimed on social media that Kane has effectively abandoned her, abandoning his pregnant wife and child to travel around Europe with his ex-girlfriend. Anna has accused Kane of betting on his games, which is a major violation of NHL rules and could result in his expulsion.

We already know Kane filed for bankruptcy and blamed his financial woes on major gambling losses. Remember, he earns $7 million a year and is worthless. It makes my head spin...

In any case, given Kane's offseason controversy, it's hard to blame his teammates for wanting to avoid him. If this guy were on my team, I doubt we'd ever share an Uber to lunch...

Even if the NHL finds no evidence that Kane cheated on his wife, according to Sharks insider Kevin Kurz, some teammates want him gone.

Kurz:

�'As Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli has reported, the Sharks were trying to move Evander Kane earlier this summer, I've confirmed with a source. A big part of the reason is Kane's strained relationship with many of his Sharks teammates, according to several sources. At least a handful of Sharks would prefer Kane not return at all, regardless of the investigation results. We'll see how it plays out."

Meanwhile, ESPN's Greg Wyshynski did a deep dive on the allegations against Kane and what it could mean for him, the league and the sport moving forward. Wyshynski even managed to get some anonymous quotes from around the league.

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Check it out:

ESPN reached out to a few players who knew Kane or have played with him. None said they ever heard him mention betting on hockey.

"Did he like to gamble? Sure. I just don't believe he was actually betting on hockey games," one active player said.
A one-time teammate of Kane was surprised to read the accusations, telling ESPN that while Kane's wagering on football and basketball were well known, "I never once heard him say he bet on hockey."

�'Part of that skepticism is that betting on hockey games -- through casinos or bookies -- isn't something that's prevalent in NHL dressing rooms, according to those with whom we spoke.''

"I've known guys that are big bettors, but I don't think I ever heard of them wagering on themselves''

Again from Wyshynski's column:

ESPN asked one active NHL player if a forward could exude that much influence. His response?

"Time on ice and line changes." In other words, a player like Kane doesn't have nearly as much influence. The average starting pitcher in baseball plays around five innings, over half the game; in 2020-21, Kane averaged 20 minutes and 12 seconds, or just over a third of regulation.

"It's kinda hard to throw a hockey game. If you're a goalie, I get it; You can let in some s--- goals. But I can't see [Kane] doing that," he said.

Another player said of the notion of match fixing in the NHL: "I don't think that's ever happened and I don't think anyone would ever do that."

Source: HockeyFeed