San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane denied claims made by his wife, Anna, that he has a gambling addiction and bet on his own games in a pair of statements posted to Twitter on Sunday.
Kane’s wife accused Kane of “throwing games to win money” in a series of posts on her Instagram account. In response, Kane wrote that he has “NEVER gambled/bet on a Sharks game, NEVER gambled/bet on any of my games and NEVER thrown a hockey game.”
“The facts are I personally had my best season of my career last year and was the most consistent I’ve been throughout any season, I’m proud of that,” Kane wrote. “I love the game of Hockey and would never do any of what was alleged. I look forward to cooperating fully with the league’s investigation, having my name cleared and looking forward to this upcoming season.”
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) August 1, 2021
In response to Kane’s wife’s allegations, the NHL announced it would conduct a full investigation of the matter, noting that “integrity of our game is paramount and the League takes these allegations very seriously.”
In January, Kane filed for bankruptcy, finding himself more than $26 million in debt. Kane had signed a seven-year, $49 million contract in 2018.
Anna Kane also claimed her husband has been neglecting the family’s needs.
“You have enough money to party and stay in hotels in Europe go to dinners every night,” Anna Kane wrote, “but I can’t buy my daughter formula and u force me to sell my wedding ring to have any money to survive as you party every day every night, never calling your daughter and never asking not even one time how I’m doing by myself.”
But in reply, Evander Kane wrote that his wife is “mentally unwell” and using their daughter as leverage.
“I love my daughter,” Kane wrote. “I will and always have taken care of my daughter in every way possible. I have always made sure her mother has had everything she’s needed and more. I have tried to de-escalate our divorce issue and be as civil and calm as anyone in this situation could. I have tried to set up FaceTime calls and visits with her.
“I have had some FaceTime calls but not every day as I would like to because of being restricted by her mom. She has refused me to see her and has unfortunately tried to use my daughter as leverage. I will continue to always take care of my family that goes without question. I would encourage people to realize that someone who goes to this length to try and jeopardize someone’s career with lies is mentally unwell. I hope this is the last time I will be publicly addressing any further misrepresentations of me as a father.”
• Andy Kostka can be reached at akostka@washingtontimes.com.
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