San Jose Sharks to end relationship with Evander Kane
Evander Kane will soon no longer be a San Jose Shark.
The team placed Kane on unconditional waivers Saturday with the intent to terminate his contract. The Sharks said the forward breached his deal and was in violation of the American Hockey League’s COVID-19 protocol.
Kane was suspended 21 games by the NHL in October for “an established violation of and lack of compliance with COVID-19 protocols.”
If Kane’s contract is terminated, he will forfeit $22,885,000, according to the website CapFriendly. His cap hit for the remainder of this season and the next three seasons will also come off the books.
The NHL Players’ Association said it will challenge the Sharks’ move by filing a grievance. Kane’s agent, Dan Milstein, said on Twitter “the Sharks do not have sufficient grounds for taking this action.”
Kane had 166 points in 212 games with the Sharks but has frequently been the target of NHL investigations. The league looked into allegations by his wife, Deanna, that he gambled on games this offseason but “found no evidence” to support those claims. The NHL also investigated allegations of domestic abuse made by Deanna and found those “could not be substantiated.”
The Golden Knights do not play San Jose until March 1. Kane has been a foil for the Knights during their rivalry with the Sharks. He has 60 penalty minutes in their 12 playoff meetings.
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
