The NHL announced Wednesday that it found no evidence that Sharks winger Evander Kane gambled on league games.
Kane's estranged wife, Anna Kane, alleged on Instagram in July that Evander bet on NHL games and had a gambling addiction.
The NHL's report states as follows:
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“The investigation included a detailed review of social media, public data, and court filings from the bankruptcy proceeding initiated by Mr. Kane in January 2021 and his pending divorce proceeding; a review of sports betting data and analysis; and in person and virtual interviews of members of the Sharks organization and others, including Mr. Kane. It should be noted that Ms. Kane refused to participate in the investigation.
“The investigation uncovered no evidence to corroborate Ms. Kane’s accusations that Mr. Kane bet or otherwise participated in gambling on NHL games, and no evidence to corroborate the allegations that Mr. Kane ‘threw’ games or did not put forward his best effort to help the Sharks win games. To the contrary, the evidence raises doubts about the veracity of the allegations.
“While Mr. Kane denied the accusations, our findings are not based on these denials but instead on other evidence uncovered during the investigation.
The investigation was conducted by Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP in conjunction with NHL Security.
San Jose Sharks
Last week in an interview with ESPN's Linda Cohn, Kane vehemently denied the allegations and was confident the NHL's investigation would clear him.
"Obviously, incredibly false," Kane told Cohn of the allegations made by his wife. "It's unfortunate that that transpired. It's unfortunate that those allegations, false allegations, were made. Obviously, when they happened I understood the magnitude of them immediately not knowing what was going to happen next.
"But I'm confident because I know that's not true, I know none of what she is saying is true, and I was very confident and comfortable with where I was knowing that I was going to be exonerated, am going to be exonerated of those allegations."
The NHL now considers this specific matter closed, barring any new information that might arise in relation to Kane's gambling. The report concludes as follows:
“Our review of public and non-public documents relating to Mr. Kane, including data and analysis from a leading sports integrity service, and our interviews of those individuals most familiar with Mr. Kane’s on-ice performance over the past three seasons yielded no evidence to corroborate Ms. Kane’s allegations that her husband gambled on NHL games or ‘threw’ hockey games.”
The NHL's statement did also note that the league is also thoroughly investigating "additional unrelated allegations involving potential wrongdoing by Mr. Kane."
On Tuesday, Anna Kane filed a domestic violence restraining order application in Santa Clara as part of her divorce case with Evander. In the court filing obtained by the San Jose Mercury News, Anna Kane accuses her husband of sexual assault and domestic violence.
In the filing, Anna Kane claims that Evander has a “history of domestic violence against me” and that she “walked on eggshells for fear that he would get mad and take out his anger on me.”
Evander Kane’s lawyer, Travis Krepelka, told the Mercury News as part of a long statement that “Evander denies ever abusing Ms. Kane or their daughter Kensington, whom he cherishes.”
The NHL will have no further comment on the latest accusations until the investigation is complete.
Evander Kane, 30, has played in the NHL for 12 years and is entering the fourth year of a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Sharks. Last season he totaled 22 goals and 27 assists in 56 games.
Sharks training camp begins Thursday in San Jose.