As professional athletes are increasingly in the spotlight for their anti-vax choices, one hockey player might have taken it to another level.
Evander Kane, a forward for the San Jose Sharks, is being investigated after allegations that he used a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.
Fake ID?
The National Hockey League doesn’t have a direct policy about falsified vaccine cards. However, possession of one is a federal crime.
The NHL does have a COVID-19 protocol which says that a player’s “lack of compliance will result in significant Club and individual sanctions, including potential forfeiture of games, fines and reimbursements of expenses, loss of draft choices, and/or ineligibility for participation in training activities.”
The NHL has to have one employee whose sole duty is to keep up with all of the Evander Kane allegations
— Brennan Jerry (@brennanjerrry) October 6, 2021
The NHL revealed last week that Kane was being investigated for a “possible violation of NHL COVID protocols.”
More Drama
However, if it is true, Kane is facing more than just professional athletic troubles. The FBI has stated that “buying, selling, or using a counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination card is a crime.” Violators face a fine and up to five years in prison. Using a fake vaccination card is also illegal in Canada. Kane is from Vancouver, British Columbia.
But there is so much more, as Kane’s life is looking like an ice-cold mess.
https://twitter.com/hockeypanda/status/1445546007106768906?s=20
Reports claim the investigation involves multiple accusations against Kane for various alleged offenses.
The current investigation centers on whether Kane submitted a fraudulent vaccination card. Kane was also being investigated for domestic assault and sexual assault allegations by his now-estranged wife, Anna Kane, who recently filed for divorce.
In late September, there was a domestic violence restraining order filed in California as part of her divorce case.
However, the rabbit hole goes deeper. A month earlier, in August, Evander Kane claimed that his wife physically assaulted him. According to documents obtained by TMZ, he was granted a temporary restraining order against her.
And Then There Was Gambling
In addition, the domestic violence allegations are only two months after Anna Kane made accusations that her husband was betting on his Sharks games. The NHL has also launched an investigation into the betting allegations. However, the results of the investigation have yet to be released.
Evander Kane showing his vaccine card at the casino entrance #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/ziN7wDkbsI
— SnipeCity420 (@SnipeCity420) October 6, 2021
Further, during a January bankruptcy filing, Evander Kane listed $1.5 million in gambling debts owed. In 2019, Kane was sued by The Cosmopolitan casino in Las Vegas after he walked out on a half-million-dollar gambling debt.
Kane had eight lines of credit ranging from $20,000 to $100,000. However, The Cosmopolitan dismissed the case by 2020.
The suit alleged that Kane had received $500,000 in gambling markers from the casino in April while the Sharks were in Las Vegas for a playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Kane Effect
Kane was selected fourth overall in the 2009 NHL draft by the Atlanta Thrashers. He was drafted from the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
During his major junior career, Evander won the Memorial Cup with the Giants in 2007. He also finished as runner-up for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as WHL rookie of the year in 2008. Kane was named to the WHL West First All-Star Team in 2009. He also set the Giants’ franchise record for single-season goals in 2008–09.
The San Jose Sharks open on Oct. 16 versus the Winnipeg Jets. Last season, Kane finished with 22 goals and 27 assists in 56 games. However, his team did not make the postseason this year.
Kane is in his third season of a $49 million, seven-year contract.
