Kane agrees to one-year contract with Oilers

“I’m a guy that will do anything that I can to help the team win,” Kane told TSN in an interview televised Thursday. “If that’s scoring, if that’s hitting, if that’s blocking a shot, if that’s getting into a fight, if that’s whatever it may be … on the power play, on the [penalty kill]. I’ll do whatever I can to help the team win. I think nobody can debate that, that’s what I’ve shown my entire career. Every coach I’ve played for, I play on the edge and as hard as I possibly can every night. I think I’m a guy that can really bring people along and bring people with me into the fight.”

The 30-year-old forward was placed on unconditional waivers by the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 8 with the intention of terminating his contract “for breach of his NHL standard player contract and for violation of the AHL COVID-19 protocols.”

Kane was in the fourth season of a seven-year contract he signed with San Jose on May 24, 2018, but did not play for the Sharks this season. He was suspended by the NHL for 21 games on Oct. 18 for violating NHL COVID-19 protocol, cleared waivers and was assigned to San Jose of the American Hockey League on Nov. 29. He scored eight points (two goals, six assists) in five games but hasn’t played since entering AHL COVID-19 protocol Dec. 22.

While in the AHL, he crossed the border into Canada, which was being investigated by the NHL for a possible COVID-19 protocol violation. The results were announced Thursday, and his signing was announced about four hours afterward.

“The National Hockey League announced today that it has concluded its investigation into the circumstances pursuant to which Evander Kane travelled cross-border during the Holiday Period,” the NHL said in a statement Thursday. “The report, prepared in connection with the investigation, which was conducted by Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, concluded that there was insufficient evidence to ‘conclusively find that Mr. Kane knowingly made misrepresentations regarding his COVID-19 status or test results in connection with his international travel.’

“As a result, the League has determined not to pursue any additional League-imposed discipline against Kane at the current time. Kane remains an unrestricted free agent and is currently eligible to sign and to play for any NHL club without restriction.”

After Kane completed his suspension, Sharks assistant general manager Joe Will said they explored all options and decided “the best thing at this time is for him to continue to play hockey and the best option for that right now is the [AHL].”

“I would like to apologize to my teammates, the San Jose Sharks organization, and all Sharks fans for violating the NHL COVID protocols,” Kane said in a statement Oct 18. “I made a mistake, one I sincerely regret and take responsibility for. During my suspension, I will continue to participate in counseling to help me make better decisions in the future. When my suspension is over, I plan to return to the ice with great effort, determination, and love for the game of hockey.”

Kane last season scored 49 points (22 goals, 27 assists) in 56 games.

“Going into the year I wanted to have a strong season,” Kane told TSN. “I wanted to do everything I could to help our team be the best that we possibly could be and, you know, there’s a lot of talk about me kind of helping some of the younger players along. At the end of the year, obviously, personally had a great year. As a team, not so much which was unfortunate (seventh in the eight-team West Division).

“I had a lot of positive feedback from the coaches, the GM, management at the end of the year that was not necessarily said to me directly, but was also said in the media as well. Not even just at the end of the year, but during the season. How great I was with the young guys, you know, being a team guy and so on and so forth. So, on a personal note, I felt really good about my impact that I had on the group that year.”

Selected by the Atlanta Thrashers with the No. 4 pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, Kane has scored 506 points (264 goals, 242 assists) in 769 regular-season games for the Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres and Sharks, and 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 29 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

“You know, I look at myself as a leader,” Kane said. “I know a lot of people will probably laugh and say that’s ridiculous. But you know when you have as much experience in terms of dealing with issues on or off the ice, you learn and you can relay that knowledge to other people to help them maybe not make those same mistakes or become better at what they’re doing on the ice. And that was something I really tried to do and I spent some time down at the American Hockey League level.”

Will, who is running hockey operations for the Sharks while general manager Doug Wilson is on medical leave, said at the time that trading Kane was an option. Coach Bob Boughner said Jan. 8 there was a sense of closure after Kane was placed on waivers.

“I think we’ve done that a long time ago,” Boughner said. “I think we understood that the players that we’re going to have on our roster this year and the guys that we’re going to use, and we’ve been good at keeping that focus. We’ve just been kind concentrating on winning hockey games and hopefully developing the young guys as they’re here. And just to keep that team culture and identity, and really unless you’re with us on our roster, then nothing else really is a concern of ours.”

Kane was the subject of two investigations prior to his suspension. The NHL announced Oct. 18 allegations of domestic abuse by Kane’s estranged wife, Deanna, could not be substantiated, after announcing Sept. 22 it found no evidence to support allegations that he gambled on NHL games or tried to negatively impact Sharks games.

The Oilers (20-16-2) have won two straight since going 2-11-2 in their previous 15 games, in which they averaged 2.33 goals per game.

“Obviously Evander Kane is a good player, and he’s a big, strong power forward that’s hard to play against,” Oilers defenseman Duncan Keith said Thursday. “As far as the leadership group, it’s talk to the guy, talk to different players, get to know them. Any time you add a player like that, a good player, you’d be excited about that. … We’d be happy to have him as players and excited to have him join the group and help us out.”

Kane scored at least 20 goals in an NHL season seven times.

“If he’s a part of our team, it’s going to be exciting for us to have a player like that, and if he’s a part of our team, he’s a part of our team,” Oilers forward Zach Hyman said Thursday.