Reports are circulating on Sunday evening that Buffalo Sabres left-winger Evander Kane is a suspect in a sexual assault investigation. According to Tim Graham of The Buffalo News the incident occurred early Sunday morning at a hotel near the First Niagara Centre, and that an investigation is ongoing. Kane has not been charged with any criminal offense, as the investigation just started. Police do not believe the investigation will be resolved any time soon, according to The Buffalo News.
This investigation has come just four months after Buffalo native Patrick Kane’s investigation. Patrick Kane, the current NHL leading scorer was the suspect of rape allegations, and was widely criticized by media and fans for months. However after insufficient evidence about the allegations, the investigation was dropped, and Kane has gone on to have one of his best seasons to date. While police confirmed the suspect’s identity early in that investigation, they are refusing comment on today’s investigation, and have not even officially confirmed that Evander Kane is the subject of the investigation. However, Tim Graham cites reliable sources in the police department who have confirmed that Evander Kane is involved.
This is not the first time that Evander Kane has been the subject of controversy. Back in 2013, Kane was the subject of an assault case after a Vancouver-located man filed for financial damages in result of the altercation. Kane claimed he was acting in self-defense, which resulted in no charges being filed.
Although the 24-year-old Canadian-born forward is off to a relatively good start in his NHL tenure, the consistent off-ice distraction may be damaging Evander Kane’s reputation to the point where it could harm his pro-hockey career. Kane was the subject of many distractions as a member of the Winnipeg Jets organization, which ultimately resulted in the organization trading him away to the Buffalo Sabres. One-year later, Kane is the subject of another investigation, which brings up the question as to whether or not Kane has learned anything at all.
It is worth noting that this is still at the investigation stage, and Kane has not even been charged with a crime. Nonetheless, it’s just another distraction for Evander Kane, and another piece of controversy added to his list.
