New Oilers forward Evander Kane asks fans to keep an open mind

Evander Kane is aware of he is not going to be universally cherished by followers of the Edmonton Oilers.

Edmonton is the fourth franchise for the 30-year-old ahead whose contract was dumped by the San Jose Sharks. There might be questions on his previous, from suspensions because of violations of COVID-19 protocols, a chapter and self-confessed playing issues. Allegations of abuse lodged by his ex-wife weren’t confirmed in court docket.

Kane met with the media Friday for the primary time since touchdown a deal for the remainder of the season.

“I need to clear up plenty of the misinformation, plenty of the storylines portray me in a sure gentle which might be utterly unfaithful, inaccurate and false,” Kane stated. “I might encourage (followers) to be open-minded, to permit me to do what I do greatest and get to know me on the ice, off the ice, across the rink, in the neighborhood, and see what I deliver to the desk.

“Each metropolis I’ve been in, I’ve all the time labored in the neighborhood and finished what I can to assist make that metropolis, that neighborhood a greater place.”

There is no such thing as a denying Kane’s expertise with 506 factors in 769 video games. However Kane has frequently generated headlines for the mistaken causes.

Final fall, he was suspended 21 gamesfor violating COVID-19 protocols ubmitting a faux vaccine card. He was investigated by the league for an additional alleged violation this season that concluded earlier this week.

Kane declared chapter in 2021, with greater than $26 million in money owed. He’s publicly admitted he has a playing subject, however has denied that he wager on or influenced NHL video games.

“I take accountability for issues I’ve finished mistaken,” Kane stated. “However I’m undoubtedly not taking accountability for issues I haven’t finished…

“It’s humorous that folks assume that I’m going to return in, like some child on the playground, and disrupt every part. That’s simply not the case,” he stated. “I’ve had plenty of expertise on and off the ice, I’ve been on this league a very long time, and I attempt to share these experiences with my workforce, and attempt to assist them stop making the identical errors that I’ve.”

Oilers president of hockey operations and normal supervisor Ken Holland stated he has finished his homework on Kane.

“I talked to folks in our group, I talked to folks outdoors the group,” Holland stated. “In the long run, you’re speaking about chemistry. With regards to his expertise, his talent set, clearly he’s a really, very gifted participant that’s going to make us higher.”

Holland, coach Dave Tippett and Kane had dinner in Vancouver earlier this week, when the Oilers had been on the town to play the Canucks. They met for 2 and a half hours.

“I left that dinner feeling that Evander could be an actual optimistic addition to our hockey workforce,” Holland stated.

Kane is anticipated to make his Oilers debut when the workforce faces Montreal on Saturday evening.

He stated “fairly just a few groups” confirmed curiosity in signing him after he and the Sharks parted methods.

“I needed to decide that was going to be the most effective for me, and people groups continued to dwindle down, and we obtained to a quantity the place Edmonton was clearly within the combine,” Kane stated. “It simply grew to become an increasing number of evident that this was the most effective match for me.”

Kane is a two-time 30-goal scorer and has surpassed 20 in a season 5 different instances.