San Jose Shark’s star winger Evander Kane has been suspended from 21 regular-season NHL games for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols. The announcement comes less than a month after allegations surfaced that he used a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.
Kane will go without pay during his suspension, according to the NHL. He isn’t eligible to return to the team until their Nov. 30 match against the New Jersey Devils. “I would like to apologize to my teammates, the San Jose Sharks organization, and all Sharks fans for violating the NHL COVID protocols,” Kane said in a statement on Monday. “I made a mistake, one I sincerely regret and take responsibility for. During my suspension, I will continue to participate in counseling to help me make better decisions in the future. When my suspension is over, I plan to return to the ice with great effort, determination, and love for the game of hockey.”
The Sharks as a franchise also released a statement on Monday on their winger. “While we are encouraged by Evander’s commitment to moving forward, we are extremely disappointed by his disregard for the health and safety protocols put in place by the NHL and the NHLPA,” it said.
The NHL said it had concluded another investigation into allegations of domestic violence against Kane made by his estranged in a recent divorce filing. The NHL said that “its concurrent investigation into allegations of domestic abuse made against Kane by his estranged wife, [Anna], could not be substantiated.”
Hopefully, Kane can keep his name out of the tabloids for the rest of the 2021 season.
