Yesterday in Buffalo, Evander Kane took a small share of the responsibility for his latest legal woes, but he deflected more than he accepted.
From the Associated Press:
Saying his recent off-ice legal problems “come with the territory” of being a professional athlete, Sabres forward Evander Kane acknowledged Thursday that he needs to be more careful when putting himself in potentially troublesome situations.
“These things unfortunately happen more often than not, and they’re becoming more and more prevalent each and every day if you look around other sports,” Kane said. “For me, it’s trying to stay out of that kind of stuff and kind of picking my spots better.”
Suffice to say, those remarks did not sit well with at least one member of the local media. Wrote John Vogl of The Buffalo News:
If Kane was being honest with his answers and comments, he’s bordering on delusional.
Instead of attempting to paint himself as a victim, Kane would have been wise to at least appear sorry. Maybe he believes he’s done nothing wrong legally. The courts will decide that. But he certainly brought bad publicity to the organization that gave up a fortune to get him and pays him a fortune to play, and being sorry for that would have been appropriate.
Being put in handcuffs on the streets of Buffalo in broad daylight, as Kane was in July, should be a blow to a person’s ego. Not Kane. He got a long-awaited fresh start by leaving Winnipeg, and he doesn’t even care that he blew it.
For a lot of people, Kane’s credibility has simply run out. He is currently dealing with two separate legal issues. The first relates to an incident at a downtown Buffalo bar, where he’s alleged to have grabbed three women by the hair and neck. (He pleaded not guilty.) He is also being sued by a woman who is accusing him of injuring her in a hotel room. (In a counterclaim, he called the woman’s allegation’s “a sham.”)
Vogl did not even mention that the 25-year-old winger was suspended a game by the Sabres last season after partying at the NBA All-Star Game in Toronto and missing practice in the morning. (He said after that incident: “It’s something that I can promise you won’t happen again and it’s something that I’m definitely going to learn from.”)
In 2013, Kane admitted to throwing three punches at a man in Vancouver, but claimed self-defense.
Less than two years later, he was traded to Buffalo after a run-in with his teammates in Winnipeg. He later accused the Jets of not giving him enough support.
Related: The curious case of Evander Kane vs. Winnipeg restauranteurs