In a season spiked with bouts of bad blood, some of the animosity actually had nothing to do with Toronto Maple Leafs. (Seriously. There is a book to be written one day about 2014-15’s beefs in Leafland: Phanuef vs. Staal, Leafs vs. fans, Leafs vs. regular media, Leafs vs. social media, Leafs vs. Ron Wilson, Kessel vs. Booth.)
The compelling story of Evander Kane and the Winnipeg Jets (finally?) reached its boiling point this season, one of recent history’s most dramatic dressing room tales leading to the season’s most important trade and our dubious Beef of the Year Award.
The uncomfortable relationship between the young sniper and the franchise that drafted him began way back in October 2011, when rumours surfaced that Kane had requested a trade out of the ‘Peg, right before embarking on his first and only (so far) 30-goal season.
Trading a supreme talent right before his probable prime — Kane is only 23 years old — is one of the toughest triggers for a general manager to pull, but doing so mere months after watching the Boston Bruins deal Tyler Seguin to the Stars only to watch him light it up from afar must be agonizing.
Yet Kane’s failure to meet dress code for a meeting in Vancouver led to a confrontation with teammates and prompted all-star rover Dustin Byfuglien to reportedly chuck Kane’s sweatsuit in the shower. Kane missed that night’s game against the Canucks and every Jets game since.
“I’m sure you have rules in your household,” Byfuglien said, “and if the kids don’t stick to it, you’ve got to discipline them. It is what it is.”
(Note: As awesome as this photo is, the photographer says Byfuglien was flipping the bird in jest.)
The writing was on the dressing room wall: Even with three more seasons at a reasonable salary cap hit ($5.25 million), Kane had to be moved. And Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff found the perfect trade partner in Buffalo’s Tim “Tank Mode” Murray, who was looking to rid himself of useful right-now players and happy to wait out Kane’s surgery for the promise the winger could bring to his rebuild. The hockey world got a rare mid-season blockbuster.
There could be some irony here. Back in the spring of 2013, after the Jets had come close but whiffed again on the post-season, you may recall Kane tweeting about the NBA playoffs. A couple fans were surprised he wasn’t watching the NHL playoffs instead.
“I’m sick of sitting here at this time of the year not having a chance to win, not scoring goals, not winning games and not winning rounds,” Kane tweeted in response. “It really pisses me off and I’m done with these kind of results. It’s time to start winning and it’s starting now.”
Since signing off on the trade of 2015, Winnipeg has a legitimate shot to qualify for the playoffs for the first time.
Meanwhile, Kane sits, ready to join the league’s last-place squad next fall.
Beef of the Year Runners-up
Alex Ovechkin vs. Ryan Getzlaf
In one of the most entertaining exchanges between bona fide superstars, Anaheim captain Getzlaf accused Washington captain Ovechkin of an “embarrassing” display of diving, Ovie responded with a bald joke and speculation that Getzlaf might be jealous.
Doug Wilson vs. Joe Thornton
What a quote: “Doug just needs to shut his mouth.” How many players can tell their general manager to zip it and get away with it? Jumbo can. Sharks fans, grab some popcorn and watch what should be an entertaining off-season in San Jose.
