Evander Kane might be in trouble. Big trouble. On Saturday evening, a series of Instagram posts and stories, from what appears to be Evander Kane’s wife, Anna Kane, detailed serious allegations of Evander Kane betting and throwing games he played in.
A few hours later, the NHL released a statement saying they were investigating the allegations that Evander Kane bet on NHL games.
While the NHL has dragged its feet or outright neglected investigations on other incidents around the league, this one though, they will take seriously.
Evander Kane’s financial problems have been well-documented for sometime now. In 2019, Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas filed a lawsuit accusing Kane of not paying a $500,000 loan. In 2021, the Sharks winger filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, after incurring nearly $27 million in liabilities. Additionally, Kane was sued by Professional Bank for $15 million alleging fraud in a loan application.
While none of the above lawsuits allow the league to implement disciplinary action, if the allegations of Kane are true, then the Commissioner may have no choice but to step in.
Unlike other off-ice incidents, the NHL will take these betting allegations seriously, and the NHL can act if the allegations are true.
Protecting Business Relationships
Out of the four major leagues in North America, the NHL has firmly and consistently established itself as the fourth largest league, and the economics of the league are a large part of it. For instance, the NHL’s broadcast rights pales in comparison to NBA where the NHL is set to earn close to $625 million from its U.S. partners, whereas the NBA earns close to $2.6 billion. As part of growing the league, however, increasing league revenues is a top priority, especially as the league recovers from the pandemic.
For a long time, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was in staunch opposition of sports betting. Once the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Professional and Amatuer Sports Protection Act of 1992 calling it unconstitutional, the NHL pounced on the opportunity to partner with different sports betting operators including MGM, FanDuel, and William Hill. From the NHL’s perspective, sports betting is another revenue stream, and the NHL is going to do all they can to protect its partnerships with betting operators.
What can the NHL do?
So, what happens next?
The NHL is launching an investigation into these allegations, as they had previously announced, and the outcome of these allegations is going to determine Kane’s future.
Since Anna Kane disclosed the allegations, the NHL’s investigation will, in large part, rest on her evidence. If Anna’s evidence, and any other means of investigation reveal some wrongdoing on the part of Kane, the league may hold a hearing to determine whether the allegations warrant a suspension. Since this isn’t a legal proceeding, it is going to be up to the NHL to determine the reliability and weight of any evidence the investigation uncovers.
After an investigation, if the NHL determines that Kane did in fact bet on games and that his conduct is “detrimental to or against the welfare of the League or the game of hockey” the Commissioner could, under his authority in Collective Bargaining Agreement, suspend Kane.
18-A.2 Commissioner Authority to Impose Discipline for Off-Ice Conduct. Whenever the Commissioner determines that a Player has violated a League Rule applicable to Players (other than Playing Rules subjecting the Player to potential Supplementary Discipline for On-Ice Conduct), or has been or is guilty of conduct (whether during or outside the playing season) that is detrimental to or against the welfare of the League or the game of hockey, he may discipline such Player in any or all of the following respects:
(a) by expelling or suspending such Player for a definite or indefinite period;
(b) by cancelling any SPC that such Player has with any Member Club; or
(c) by imposing a fine on the Player not exceeding the maximum permissible fine under Section 18.7(b).
Collective Bargaining Agreement between NHL and NHLPA 2015-2022.
The last time the commissioner used his authority to suspend a player for off-ice conduct was Slava Voynov. Voynov was suspended for the entire 2019-2020 season for acts of domestic violence against his wife.
Though it’s not often that the Commissioner will use his authority under 18-A of the CBA, if the league finds the allegations to be true and detrimental to the league or the game of hockey, the Commissioner will act in a swift and decisive manner to take action against Kane, and will do what it can to protect league interests.
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/@evanderkane_9