PHILADELPHIA — There has always been drama in Evander Kane’s life. Unnecessary drama, and almost always of his own making.
Accusations. Bankruptcy. Whatever it was that happened in San Jose.
But today, domesticized and a father of three at age 32, it appears that Kane has found peace. Managed to get out of his own way, finally.
As he begins his third season in Edmonton, and the second year of a four-year, $20.5 million deal, it appears as if the Oilers got the player that Atlanta drafted. That Buffalo traded for, that San Jose signed.
The player is here, the distractions are gone.
“It’s not about just being a hockey player. It’s about not having any real issues to deal with. To distract,” Kane said. “I have three young kids (Kensington, three; Iverson, one; Hendrix, born in June), and I enjoy spending my free time with them.
“Edmonton as a city has been really good. I’ve created a lot of really nice friendships here with people who have lived here all their lives. It’s something that I definitely do not take for granted, how well I’ve been accepted here in the city.”
If you’d have told a 20-year-old Evander Kane that he would find his peace in this northern Alberta outpost, we can only imagine the reaction. But here he is, settled into an Ada Blvd. home in one of Edmonton’s heritage neighbourhoods, helping charities and spending time with 10-year-old cancer survivor Cecily Eklund.
At a recent Oilers signing session at West Edmonton Mall, Kane’s table was among the busiest.
“I’m a free agent at 29 years old, trying to figure out where I want to play,” Kane said, taking us back to January 2022. “I’ve got a team like Tampa Bay or a team like Edmonton, and I choose Edmonton. I don’t regret that decision. One bit.”
A hockey team is built of players from all kinds of backgrounds and upbringings. They orbit the hockey world until luck, planning, and some happenstance bring 20-some players into the same dressing room, with the same purpose, and something special occurs.
The hard-working Jewish kid from Toronto. The No. 1 overall pick out of Burnaby, B.C., whose family at one time couldn’t afford rep hockey. The farm kid from outside Stony Plain, Alta. The son of a German hockey royalty, by way of Prince Albert, Sask.
The prodigy Connor McDavid. Derek Ryan, who did not play an NHL game until age 29.
Add to that mix Kane, the son of athletic parents — Mom Sheri played college volleyball, Dad Perry was a boxer who dabbled at hockey — who leapt onto Edmonton’s roster mid-season as a free agent in 2021-22.
Every guy brings something to the recipe. Channelled properly, Kane’s experiences and style make Edmonton better, as he patrols McDavid’s left side, equal parts finisher and inhibitor, a handy combination to put next to the most valuable player in hockey.
He’s part of what hockey people like to call, “The right mix.”
“There’s a big difference between being a professional, and adult, to junior hockey,” begins Kane, when the topic turns to roster composition. “It’s not always about winning. Sometimes, it’s about providing a lifestyle, earning money and taking care of your family.
“Having guys that are secure in their positions — whether that’s on the team, in their careers, or in their personal life — those things matter and contribute. But at the end of the day, it comes down to performance on the ice.
“It’s about bringing something to the table that can help your team win.”
Kane’s route to this Edmonton Oilers roster, to his role on a team with a chance to do something no Canadian team has done in 30 years, has been nothing like any of his teammates. But today, former Maple Leafs, former Sabres, former Canadiens, former Senators, Capitals and Predators — have accrued common Oiler experiences, drawn from common failures suffered along the way.
“Last year, we left with a bitter taste in our mouths, knowing that we definitely could have beaten Vegas. And if we do, I think we’re headed in the right direction of where we want to be,” Kane said.
“There’s a lot of pressure on our group. There’s been a lot of pressure in our group over my tenure here. But I think it’s something we all enjoy, something we all want to use to our advantage.”
He’s in for the long haul with the Oilers, and they with him.
If Evander Kane wants to be remembered by the game as a winner, as a guy who helped get something special accomplished, then perhaps he is finally in the right place.
And the right city.
