Sharks reach out to smooth over Evander Kane's debts
The San Jose Sharks' Evander Kane has made more headlines recently than any other player. His ex-wife took to social media after he filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, accusing him of betting on his own games and even throwing some of them to win money. Resetting Jack Eichel's Derby Team Trade Fits Health Status Sabres Next Moves ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reports states Kane's gambling issues date back years, and the Sharks even intervened to help him pay off his debts.
"I spent two years out in San Jose before moving back to Brooklyn. Stories about Kane's gambling were legion around the team. There were stories about huge debts. There were stories about the Sharks having to reach out to those whom Kane owed money in an effort to smooth things over, including a Las Vegas casino. There were always stories. I imagine you'll hear more of them in the coming weeks."
"As one current NHL player told me this week: 'I just can't see the guy playing another game in San Jose. I don't know how he could.'"
Wyshynski also wrote that reports that Kane's teammates want him out of San Jose are nothing new.
"While the past season may have added fuel to that fire, this tracks back to 2018, when the Sharks committed seven years and $49 million to a player that frequently defied team rules, such as gambling in Vegas on road trips to play the Golden Knights. The Sharks rewarded him with a long-term contract commitment with robust trade protection -- he submits three teams to whom he could be traded every season. It was a decision that left the locker room stunned, with little explanation from management as to why it needed that kind of deal with Kane."
The NHL has committed to investigating the claims made against Kane regarding betting on games he played in. According to Wyshynski, it will require a smoking gun like a bookie willing to come forward with information on bets and a paper trail to back it up.
