Evander Kane

Early life

Kane was born on August 2, 1991, in Vancouver, British Columbia, to Perry and Sheri Kane, who named him after American boxer Evander Holyfield (he later met Holyfield at age 18).

Coming from an athletic lineage, his father was an amateur boxer and hockey player. Kane's mother was a college volleyball player. His uncle, Leonard Kane, is a member of the Canadian Ball Hockey Hall of Fame. Kane's cousin, Dwayne Provo, played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for seven years and spent one season with the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Another cousin, Kirk Johnson, boxed for Canada at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and later fought John Ruiz for the 2002 World Boxing Association (WBA) Heavyweight title.

Growing up in East Vancouver, Kane attended high school at John Oliver Secondary. In addition to hockey, he played baseball, basketball and soccer growing up. After beginning to skate at the age of three, he began playing minor hockey at eight. His father instructed him in his early years and initially wanted to keep him out of organized hockey until Kane was ten. At the age of 14 years, Kane recorded 140 points in 66 games with the bantam North Shore Winter Club, followed by a 22-goal, 54-point campaign to finish fourth in league scoring with the Greater Vancouver Canadians of the BC Hockey Major Midget League (BCMML). Kane also played minor hockey with the Vancouver Thunderbirds, prior to bantam and midget.

Vancouver Giants (2006–09)

Kane was drafted 19th overall in the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft by the Vancouver Giants. He received his first WHL call-up for a game against the Seattle Thunderbirds on December 13, 2006, due to other Giants players international commitments in the World Junior Championships. Kane scored his first WHL goal, a game-tying marker, on March 25, 2007, the last game of the regular season. He also suited up for five WHL post-season games, being originally called up for the playoffs after Giants forward Tim Kraus was suspended for game three of the opening round. He later appeared in two Memorial Cup games, tallying an assist, as part of the Giants' 2007 Memorial Cup championship.

Set to begin his rookie campaign with the Giants the following season, Kane experienced a minor setback, as he was forced to miss the start of training camp with a case of mononucleosis. He nevertheless recovered and joined the Giants full-time to tally 24 goals – third in team scoring – and 41 points in his first WHL season. Finishing tenth in rookie scoring, he was nominated for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as WHL rookie of the year, which was awarded to Brayden Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Kane emerged with an impressive start to the 2008–09 season, registering at least a point in each of his first 22 games. After recording his first WHL hat-trick on October 10, 2008, against the Kelowna Rockets, he was named WHL Player of the Week on October 12, succeeding linemate Casey Pierro-Zabotel, who had been chosen the previous week. Kane earned a spot as an injury replacement at the 2009 World Junior Championships with Team Canada. Upon returning with a gold medal, Kane was named player of the week for the second time in the season on January 12, 2009, after scoring six points in two games immediately following the World Juniors. Later that month, he participated in the 2009 CHL Top Prospects Game as captain for Team Cherry.

Kane finished his second WHL season with 48 goals and 96 points, fourth in League scoring. He surprassed Adam Courchaine's team record of 43 goals in a single season, set in 2002–03. Second in team scoring to Pierro-Zabotel's 115 points, the linemates finished one-two in all-time Giants' single-season scoring as Pierro-Zabotel and Kane both surpassed Gilbert Brulé's previous 87-point mark. Kane received WHL West First Team All-Star honours along with teammates Pierro-Zabotel and Jonathon Blum. In the subsequent 2009 playoffs, after the Giants swept the Prince George Cougars in the first round, Kane scored a double-overtime game-winner to force a seventh game in the second round against the Spokane Chiefs. After eliminating the Chiefs in the seventh game, the Giants were then defeated by the Kelowna Rockets in six games in the semi-finals. In 17 post-season games, Kane accumulated 15 points.

Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets (2009–2015)

Kane was selected fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers. Less than a month later, the Thrashers signed Kane to an entry-level contract on July 20, 2009.

Kane made the Thrashers' lineup out of his first NHL training camp for the 2009–10 season. He recorded his first career NHL point in his debut on October 3, 2009, earning an assist on a goal by Rich Peverley against the Tampa Bay Lightning. His first goal was scored five days later, on October 8, beating Chris Mason with a snap shot in a 4–2 win over the St. Louis Blues. He suffered a bone fracture, late in his rookie season, blocking a shot during a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 6, 2010. Kane missed 15 games before returning to the lineup on April 3. Kane finished his NHL rookie campaign with 14 goals and 26 points in 66 games, ranked 12th among first-year point-scorers.

Kane suffered several minor injuries during his second NHL season in 2010–11 season. During a game against the Colorado Avalanche on November 30, 2010, Kane suffered a left knee injury after he was struck by a shot from teammate Tobias Enström; he missed two games. The following month, he missed one game due to an arm injury, sustained during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 7. In January 2011, he missed an additional six games due to a lower-body injury. Kept from the lineup for a total nine games, Kane increased his points total to 43 with 19 goals and 24 assists. He ranked fifth in team point-scoring – third among forward behind captain Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little.

During the off-season, the Thrashers franchise was bought and relocated by True North Sports and Entertainment, becoming the Winnipeg Jets. Kane was enjoying a successful first season as a Jet, leading his team in scoring with 18 goals and 31 points by mid-January 2012. During that month, however, he was sidelined with a concussion that was reported on January 21. Later in the season, he recorded a four-point game (two goals and two assists) in a 7–0 win against the Florida Panthers on March 1, 2012. On September 15, 2012, Kane signed a six-year, $31.5 million contract extension with the Jets.

As a result of the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Kane joined Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He was the first Canadian NHL player to sign a contract with the KHL. However, after 12 games with the club, in which he recorded one goal, Kane was released. The club's athletic director suggested that Kane "could not adapt to hockey in the KHL," but also said that both sides mutually agreed to end the contract.

On April 3, 2014, Kane was accused of assault, after an incident in Vancouver, and sued for financial damages. On April 5, 2014, Kane was a healthy scratch under new head coach Paul Maurice, in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. After the game, Maurice said it was a coach's decision, and that if Kane wanted back in the lineup, all he needed to do was "probably just come to the rink." On February 3, 2015 Kane was a healthy scratch against the Vancouver Canucks. It was later determined that he was scratched because of an incident with his teammates. Kane revealed in an October 2015 interview that he felt the Jets did not "have his back" throughout his legal and behavioral issues but instead felt that they traded away their problem. On August 1, Kane plead not guilty to charges alleging he grabbed three women during an altercation at a downtown Buffalo bar in June 2016.

Buffalo Sabres (2015–present)

The Jets traded Kane on February 11, 2015, as well as Zach Bogosian and the rights to Jason Kasdorf, to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux and a conditional first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft (Jack Roslovic). On October 14, 2016, Kane cracked three ribs in the season-opening game when he crashed into boards while fighting for the puck with Alexei Emelin of the Montreal Canadiens, which left him unable to play indefinitely.

International play

Kane competed in the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, capturing gold with Canada's under-18 team. He totalled four points in four games, including an assist in the 6–3 gold medal game win against Russia. Later that year, Kane competed on Team Canada during the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. As the youngest player on the team, Kane contributed six points in six games, helping Canada to a fifth-straight gold medal with a 5–1 victory over Sweden in the final.

Following his rookie season in the NHL, Kane was named to the Canadian men's team for the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany. General Manager Mark Messier made a specific effort to assemble a young team; as a result, Kane was one of five teenagers on the roster. He finished the tournament with two goals and two assists in seven games. Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinal by Russia and finished in seventh place.

The following year, Kane returned to the national team for the 2011 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia. Kane recorded two assists over seven games as Canada suffered a second consecutive defeat in the quarterfinal to Russia.

Records