NHL SUSPENDS San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane without pay for 21 games for submitting a fake COVID vaccine card in move that'll cost him $1.68m of his $7m salary
The NHL has suspended San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane for 21 games for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.
The league on Monday announced the suspension without pay and said Kane will not be eligible to play until November 30 at New Jersey.
Kane will forfeit about $1.68 million of his $7 million salary for this season with the money going to the Players´ Emergency Assistance Fund. The cash he is losing is equivalent to around $35,000-a-day.
The league also announced that a concurrent investigation into allegations of sexual and physical abuse made against Kane by his estranged wife, Anna, could not be substantiated.
The NHL has suspended San Jose Sharks' Evander Kane for 21 games for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. The league announced the suspension without pay on Monday
Kane released a statement regarding his suspension over using a fake covid vaccination card
A person familiar with the investigation said the league was looking into allegations that Kane submitted a fake vaccination card
'I would like to apologize to my teammates, the San Jose Sharks organization, and all Sharks fans for violating the NHL COVID protocols,' Kane said in a statement.
'I made a mistake, one I sincerely regret and take responsibility for. During my suspension, I will continue to participate in counseling to help me make better decisions in the future. When my suspension is over, I plan to return to the ice with great effort, determination, and love for the game of hockey.'
The Sharks have not said what Kane's status will be after the investigations. Kane had not been around the team since the start of training camp while these investigations were ongoing in an agreement between him and the team.
'While we are encouraged by Evander´s commitment to moving forward, we are extremely disappointed by his disregard for the health and safety protocols put in place by the NHL and the NHLPA,' the team said in a statement.
Kane will not be eligible to play until November 30 at a game in New Jersey
Kane had previously been cleared by the NHL in an investigation into allegations made by his estranged wife, Anna Kane, that he bet on hockey games, including some against the Sharks. Evander (left) waves to his wife, Anna, and their daughter, Kensington, before a San Jose Sharks game against the Vegas Golden Knights in San Jose on May 12
'We will not be commenting further on Evander´s status prior to the conclusion of the NHL´s mandated suspension.'
Kane had previously been cleared by the NHL in an investigation this summer into allegations made by his estranged wife Anna Kane that he bet on hockey games, including some against the Sharks.
But the league did determine that Kane violated the COVID-19 protocols. A person familiar with the investigation said earlier this month that the league was looking into allegations that Kane submitted a fake vaccination card.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details weren't made public.
Using a fake vaccination card is illegal in both the United States and Canada, as well as against NHL rules.
Commissioner Gary Bettman said last week that only four players on active rosters hadn't been vaccinated.
Kane, 30, is three seasons into a $49 million, seven-year contract. He´s with his third organization after being drafted by and debuting with Atlanta/Winnipeg and a stint in Buffalo.
Last season, he had 22 goals and 27 assists in 56 games.
Kane, 30, is three seasons into a $49 million, seven-year contract. He´s with his third organization after being drafted by and debuting with Atlanta/Winnipeg and a stint in Buffalo.
In July, Kane's pregnant wife alleged her estranged husband was a compulsive gambler who tanked his own team’s games to pay off a massive debt and then publicly accused a Los Angeles model of being his mistress.
Anna Kane unleashed a series of explosive posts on Instagram in July in which she claimed her husband, Evander, intentionally threw hockey games while leaving the family destitute and unable to buy baby formula for their infant daughter.
Anna's claim prompted an investigation by the National Hockey League but Evander Kane was cleared.
She also took aim at Mara Teigen, the 26-year-old model who has been dubbed ‘Angelina 2.0’ for her uncanny resemblance to Angelina Jolie.
Evander accused his estranged wife of fabricating the betting allegations in an attempt to destroy his career.
The Sharks forward also accused Anna of using their infant daughter, Kensington, as 'leverage' while restricting his access to her.
Evander Kane accused his wife, Anna, of restricting his access to his daughter, Kensington (seen above with her mother in December 2020)
In January, he filed for bankruptcy despite making $3 million in 2020 and more than $50 million in his career.
He was also sued in 2019 by The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas strip casino for an alleged $500,000 gambling debt which piled up during an NHL playoff series, CBS reported.
In 2018, Evander was the subject of a $6 million lawsuit filed by an ex-girlfriend who says he forced her to end two pregnancies and reneged on promises to pay for them.
The unidentified woman says she became pregnant by Evander three times in total, but that while the first abortion was agreed to by mutual consent, the second and third were imposed on her by the hockey player.
The lawsuit says that Evander promised to pay her $3 million to end the third pregnancy while they were still a couple.
The woman claims that she started dating Evander in 2015, the year he switched from the Winnipeg Jets to the Buffalo Sabres. He joined San Jose in February of this 2018.
The $6 million sum named in the lawsuit is made up of the $3 million she claims she was promised for the abortion procedure, plus an additional $3 million for 'intentional infliction of emotional distress'.
Evander Kane has also accused by Anna Kane of physical and sexual abuse. He has denied those charges through his attorney.
The allegations were made on Instagram from an account purportedly belonging to Anna Kane. The couple have a one-year-old daughter, and her Instagram account suggests she's pregnant with their second child
Evander Kane vehemently denied the allegations in a statement released on Sunday. He also denied his wife's claims that he is a deadbeat father who doesn't provide for his infant daughter
Anna Kane, the pregnant wife of San Jose Sharks player Evander Kane (seen left in Los Angeles in 2019) who alleged her husband was a compulsive gambler who tanked his own team’s games to pay off a massive debt, has publicly accused Mara Teigen (right), a Los Angeles model of being his mistress
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