NHL plans to release report on Evander Kane’s alleged illicit gambling next week
The NHL expects to conclude its investigation into allegations that San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane gambled on NHL games before the start of training camp, the league’s deputy commissioner, Bill Daly, said Thursday. The league plans to release a report on its findings next week.
That would follow the timeline originally set by the NHL after it announced it was opening an investigation into Kane on July 31. Daly said at that time that he expected the probe to be concluded by the time training camps around the league opened this month.
A report earlier this month indicated the league’s investigation into Kane had hit a snag as investigators had been unable to speak with Anna Kane up until that point. Anna Kane, Evander’s estranged wife, made accusations on social media that the winger gambled on league games and was “throwing games to win money.”
Daly told this newspaper at the time that he was unsure if he could “provide a definitive timeline at this point” for the inquiry to be completed.
However, Daly, speaking with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman at the NHL’s media day Thursday in Chicago, said the report on Kane is expected to come out before the start of camp next week.
The Sharks have not, as of early Thursday morning, officially announced what day their training camp will begin, although the expectation is that the team will start Sept. 23, next Thursday.
Cap expected to go up $1M for next season; report on Evander Kane situation expected before opening of training camp; investigation continues into Chicago, no timeline on that.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 16, 2021
In July 31 Instagram posts, Anna Kane asked: “How does the NHL let a compulsive gambling addict still play when he’s obviously throwing games to win money? Hmm maybe someone needs to address this.”
“Can someone ask (Commissioner) Gary Bettman how they can let a player gamble on his own games? Bet and win with bookies on his own games?”
Just hours after the posts appeared, the league announced it would open an investigation.
“The integrity of our game is paramount and the League takes these allegations very seriously,” the NHL said in a statement. The Sharks, in their own statement, said they would support the investigation.
Evander Kane, who listed $1.5 million in gambling losses when he filed by Chapter 7 bankruptcy in January, took to Twitter Aug. 1 to strenuously deny the allegations, adding that he would cooperate with the NHL’s investigation.
ESPN was scheduled to air an interview with Evander Kane on Thursday morning. The interview marks the first time Kane has spoken publically since the gambling allegations were made.
I sat down with @NHL star @evanderkane_9 of the @SanJoseSharks to talk about his recent issues off the ice, including accusations of gambling on his own games. The MUST SEE interview is TODAY at 1:40pm ET on @espn. @OTLonESPN @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/d1qsLTxgau
— Linda Cohn (@lindacohn) September 16, 2021
Another report earlier this summer, published by The Athletic, said that several Sharks players had become fed up with Kane over the course of last season due to his overall lax attitude toward team rules, including being late for practices and games and the players’ dress code.
Kane and former Sharks associate coach Rocky Thompson, according to the report, also nearly came to blows over a disagreement during a power-play meeting, and the perception among some players was that Kane could act without the worry of discipline from general manager Doug Wilson or coach Bob Boughner.
Some Sharks players also indicated to Wilson that they did not want to remain with the team if Kane remained a Shark.
The Sharks announced Sept. 3 that Thompson was leaving the team because of, according to Thompson, “a medical exemption that prevents me from taking the COVID-19 vaccine.” Because of that, under the NHL’s new protocols for coaches and staff members, he would not be permitted to “fulfill my duties on the Sharks coaching staff at this time.”