Hockey History
A History of Evander Kane Talking About Racism, Part 2

This is Part 2 of a two-part timeline, tracing Evander Kane’s statements about racism throughout his career. On Thursday, we touched on Kane’s formative years in Vancouver, being drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers, and growing pains with the Winnipeg Jets.
Now, we’re going to explore his years with the Buffalo Sabres, and finally, look at his time with the San Jose Sharks, up to the murder of George Floyd.
Buffalo
In June 2015, Officer Eric Casebolt was video recorded restraining Dajerria Becton, a 15-year-old African-American girl in a swimsuit, with unnecessary force in McKinney, Texas. Casebolt then drew his handgun on unarmed teenage witnesses.
This appears to be Kane’s first-ever public comment on police brutality against black people.
This cop needs his face shoved into the pavement!!! #ThisHasToSTOP https://t.co/QJ6VxUfZWW
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) June 8, 2015
Cop in McKinney pulls a Gun on a CHILD and throws her to the ground?! Wow! I would love to take a 5min major on this guy!
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) June 8, 2015
There are a lot of great Police Officers out there and this #McKinney cop is clearly not part of that group. I would call this act racism.
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) June 8, 2015
In December 2015, Kane was the subject of a sexual assault investigation. This was just four months after Buffalo native Patrick Kane was accused of rape. Neither athlete faced criminal charges — in Evander’s case, according to Erie County District Attorney Michael Flaherty, “No charge will be filed because there is no evidence to support the filing of a criminal filing of a criminal action.”
That said, here’s a fact: According to a 2010 study, just two to 10 percent of rape allegations are estimated to be false.
Consider this too: I think it’s fair to say that a professional athlete’s celebrity and wealth might make them a target for accusations, but it’s also fair to say that a professional athlete’s celebrity and wealth might help them get off from such accusations, whether it’s from popular support that results in victim blaming or simply being able to hire the best possible legal aid.
The Undefeated wrote in 2019: “Kane, who maintains his innocence, thinks the fact that he’s black and the woman who sued him is white had everything to do with some hateful social media comments he received about the allegations.”
Kane said then: “It’s unfortunate that people do create these automatic opinions based on a headline.”
He added a year later:
THIS!!!! https://t.co/UtGbu6Uynd
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) June 4, 2020
It’s worth noting too that Evander was also accused of sexual harassment in July 2016. Charges were dismissed after a plea agreement.
I’m drawing no conclusions. But all this matters when attempting to view Evander Kane in full.
With Kane approaching unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2018, the Sabres traded the winger, along with his highs and lows, to the San Jose Sharks before the Trade Deadline.
San Jose
None other than Willie O’Ree, the NHL’s first black player, dropped the ceremonial first puck during Evander Kane’s first game with the San Jose Sharks on February 27, 2018.
Two weeks later, Kane tweeted out this picture of he, O’Ree, and future Hockey Diversity Alliance founder Joel Ward:
Mr. O’Ree helped change the game of hockey, now it’s up to us to continue to push our sport and message forward. pic.twitter.com/w4zhbNu9nO
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) March 13, 2018
The push forward wouldn’t come yet though, as Kane was still dogged by worn stereotypes. Besides this Instagram user, Kane revealed that during Game Four of the second round against the Colorado Avalanche, a fan had shouted the same thing to him while he sat in the penalty box.
I like basketball but my profession is HOCKEY. Thanks pic.twitter.com/TX00d7fXX0
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) August 28, 2019
“There is focus on racism in football, basketball, and baseball. But in the Hockey world it’s easier to ignore, dismiss and forget because let’s face the facts hockey is a white sport,” Kane wrote. “Time to notice it, and give it the attention it’s (sic) deserves. The old way of thinking is done!”
A couple weeks later, Kane used this ESPN discussion about Cam Newton and Eli Manning to illustrate how black athletes are portrayed compared to white athletes:
Ryan Clark speaking facts especially at the end of the video. My point exactly. https://t.co/oKXimq2kHJ
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) September 18, 2019
Early in the 2019-20 season, Kane took the time to visit Oakland Ice:
Always great to spend time with Hockey’s future stars. https://t.co/b5zzccyO0k
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) November 19, 2019
Fun to be able to play some ball hockey with a great group of kids. #growthegame https://t.co/Eisn1TSZKi
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) November 21, 2019
This visit affected Kane enough to tweet this a week later:
one day…….. #culturechange pic.twitter.com/1BsHnbwGcF
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) November 26, 2019
In January 2020, Kane wondered aloud why the official NHL Twitter hadn’t recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Day yet:
Follow the @SanJoseSharks lead @NHL https://t.co/cWCSMx6dWC
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) January 20, 2020
The NHL failed to tweet about King Jr. on MLK Day, choosing instead to honor Snopp Dogg:
The 2017 #NHLAllStar Game wouldn't have been complete without @tseguinofficial and @SnoopDogg! pic.twitter.com/K85ka5B84E
— NHL (@NHL) January 20, 2020
Kane spoke about meeting the San Jose African-American Community Service Agency before a late February game:
Kane, on meeting @SJAACSA at Black Hockey History Museum: "That's the way you grow the game. You introduce people that maybe don't know a lot about hockey & the history of hockey, especially from a black standpoint."
The mobile museum will be at Oakland Ice Center tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/T0Wd3Dk0E4
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 1, 2020
As of March 2020, Kane appeared to still be wholeheartedly in support of the NHL’s Hockey Is for Everyone initiative:
Tonight we would’ve had the opportunity to celebrate #HockeyIsForEveryone, so instead I decided to leave you with this short message. pic.twitter.com/EHb9iCAQ92
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) March 28, 2020
“I’m privileged to be an ambassador for Hockey Is for Everyone, especially as a minority,” Kane said.
Two months later, however, Akim Aliu’s powerful “Hockey Is Not for Everyone” piece clearly moved Kane:
I hope that every single Hockey player, Fan, Media member, GM, Owner, Parent and young player read this. When it comes to racism, it exists in many forms with our game, not only back then but still in todays game. I’ve said this for a long time, maybe now you’ll listen. https://t.co/98S00X52u5
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) May 19, 2020
George Floyd’s murder on May 25, 2020 would change everything:
I just signed a petition to demand that the 4 police officers involved in murdered George Floyd be arrested and charged immediately. You should too: https://t.co/NG6ZL53OrO
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) May 27, 2020
A couple days later, Kane targeted this Toronto Sun cover, which made light of rapper Houdini’s murder:
Classic Canadian media when it comes to black public figures. https://t.co/lrkmdKzExn
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) May 29, 2020
If 2020 indeed proves to be a watershed year for the eradication of racism in hockey, Kane’s appearance on “First Take” will be among the seminal moments, along with Akim Aliu outing Bill Peters, the formation of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, and NHL players black and white banding together to postpone Thursday and Friday’s playoff games:
Was on with @FirstTake this morning https://t.co/g58zmNd5kI
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) May 29, 2020
Like Aliu breaking hockey’s code of silence by naming Peters, Kane broke it by publicly naming his sport’s biggest star in an impassioned plea.
Evander Kane spoke out about George Floyd this morning: "It's time for guys like Tom Brady and Sidney Crosby and those type of figures to speak up about what is right, and clearly in this case, what is unbelievably wrong." https://t.co/xuXos7Xzfz pic.twitter.com/vDQQnMql1r
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) May 29, 2020
Fittingly, Kane tweeted this the next day:
If you know me, THINK you know me, played with me, coached me, LOVE me, HATE me, it doesn’t matter. Just ask yourself this ⬇️ because I see a lot of you still sitting. https://t.co/VEBUI5EiCz
— Evander Kane (@evanderkane_9) May 30, 2020
Nine days later, Kane, Aliu, Ward, Matt Dumba, Chris Stewart, Trevor Daley, and Wayne Simmonds announced the formation of The Hockey Diversity Alliance.