Evander Kane

Evander Kane 	Evander Kane
 	
Born 	August 2, 1991 (1991-08-02) (age 19),
Vancouver, BC, CAN
Height
Weight 	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position 	Centre/left wing
Shoots 	Left
NHL team 	Atlanta Thrashers
Ntl. team 	Canada
NHL Draft 	4th overall, 2009
Atlanta Thrashers
Playing career	2009–present
Evander Kane (born August 2, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre with the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Selected fourth overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Thrashers, he was drafted from the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
During his major junior career, he won the Memorial Cup with the Giants in 2007, finished as runner-up for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as WHL rookie of the year in 2008 and was named to the WHL West First All-Star Team in 2009. Kane also set the Giants' franchise record for single-season goals in 2008–09.
Internationally, Kane has won gold medals with Team Canada at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and 2009 World Junior Championships. He has also competed in the 2010 IIHF World Championship.
== Early life==
Kane was born on August 2, 1991, to Perry and Sheri Kane, who named him after American boxer Evander Holyfield.[1] Kane has two sisters, Brea and Kyla, who are two and four years younger, respectively.[2] Coming from an athletic lineage, his father was an amateur boxer[3] and also a hockey player, having played junior hockey with the Cole Harbour Scotia Colts and Dartmouth Arrows of the Metro Valley Junior Hockey League (MVJHL) in Nova Scotia[4] and university hockey at St. Francis Xavier University,[1] while his mother was a professional volleyball player.[1] His uncle, Leonard, is also a member of the Canadian Ball Hockey Hall of Fame.[5] Kane's cousin, Dwayne Provo, played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for seven years and spent one season with the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL).[4] Another cousin, Kirk Johnson, boxed for Canada at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and later fought John Ruiz for the 2007 World Boxing Association (WBA) Heavyweight title.[4]
Growing up in East Vancouver, Kane attended high school at John Oliver Secondary.[6] In addition to hockey, he played baseball, basketball and soccer growing up.[4] At fourteen-years-old, Kane recorded 140 points in 66 games with the bantam North Shore Winter Club,[7] followed by a 22-goal, 54-point campaign to finish fourth in league scoring with the Greater Vancouver Canadians of the BC Hockey Major Midget League (BCMML).[8] Kane also played minor hockey with the Vancouver Thunderbirds, prior to bantam and midget.[6]
== Playing career==
=== Vancouver Giants (2006–09)===
Kane was drafted 19th overall in the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft by the Vancouver Giants and immediately played eight games for the Giants in the 2006–07 season.[7] He received his first WHL call-up for a game against the Seattle Thunderbirds on December 13, 2006, due to other Giants players international commitments in the World Junior Championships.[7] Kane scored his first WHL goal, a game-tying marker, on March 25, 2007, the last game of the regular season.[9] He also suited up for five WHL post-season games, being originally called up for the playoffs after Giants forward Tim Kraus was suspended for game three of the opening round.[9] He later appeared in two Memorial Cup games, tallying an assist,[10] as part of the Giants' 2007 Memorial Cup championship.[11] Kane's gritty play (he accumulated 150 penalty minutes in 30 games during midget)[8] earned him an early comparison to Darcy Tucker from Giants head coach Don Hay, who had coached Tucker as a junior with the Kamloops Blazers
Set to begin his rookie campaign with the Giants the following season, Kane experienced a minor setback as he was forced to miss the start of training camp with a case of mononucleosis.[12] He nevertheless recovered and joined the Giants full-time to tally 24 goals – third in team scoring –[13] and 41 points in his first WHL season. Finishing tenth in rookie scoring, he was nominated for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as league rookie of the year, which was awarded to Brayden Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings.[11]
Kane emerged with an impressive start to the 2008–09 season, registering at least a point in each of his first 22 games.[14] After recording his first WHL hat-trick on October 10, 2008, against the Kelowna Rockets, he was named WHL Player of the Week on October 12, succeeding linemate Casey Pierro-Zabotel who had been chosen the previous week.[15] Shortly thereafter, the WHL selected Kane to represent the league at the 2008 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge.[16] However, due to a bruised heel suffered on November 15 in a game against the Kelowna Rockets,[17] Kane was not able to compete for Team WHL.[18] Kane recovered and earned a spot as an injury replacement at the 2009 World Junior Championships with Team Canada. Upon returning with a gold medal, Kane was named player of the week for the second time in the season on January 12, 2009, after scoring six points in two games immediately following the World Juniors.[19] Later that month, he participated in the 2009 CHL Top Prospects Game[20] as captain for Team Cherry.[10] Nearing the end of the regular season, Kane broke the Giants' single-season goals record with his 44th goal of the season as part of a two-goal effort on March 4 against the Tri-City Americans. The goal surpassed Adam Courchaine's 43-goal mark recorded in 2002–03.[21]
He finished his second WHL season with 48 goals and 96 points, fourth in league scoring.[22] Second in team scoring to Pierro-Zabotel's 115 points, the linemates finished one-two in all-time Giants' single-season scoring as Pierro-Zabotel and Kane both surpassed Gilbert Brulé's previous 87-point mark.[23] Kane received WHL West First Team All-Star honours along with teammates Pierro-Zabotel and Jonathon Blum.[24] In the subsequent 2009 playoffs, after the Giants swept the Prince George Cougars in the first round, Kane scored a double-overtime game-winner to force a seventh game in the second round against the Spokane Chiefs.[25] After eliminating the Chiefs in the seventh game, the Giants were then defeated by the Kelowna Rockets in six games in the semi-finals. In 17 post-season games, Kane accumulated 15 points.
Preliminary rankings by NHL Central Scouting Services (CSS) listed Kane as the second-best draft-eligible WHL skater, behind Spokane Chiefs defenceman Jared Cowen for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.[26] International Scouting Services (ISS) ranked Kane at eighth overall among all draft-eligible skaters.[27] Following Kane's performance at the 2009 World Junior Championships, he rose to third overall among North American skaters, behind John Tavares and Matt Duchene, and first in the WHL in the NHL CSS's midseason and final rankings.[28][29] Accordingly, Kane was selected by the NHL CSS as the WHL's nominee for the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award (the award was given to Tavares, the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) nominee).[30] Leading up to the 2009 draft, the ISS listed Kane fifth overall in their April rankings.[31]
=== Atlanta Thrashers (2009–present)===
After Tavares, Victor Hedman and Duchene were taken with the top three picks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Kane was selected fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers. He became the highest drafted born-and-raised player from Vancouver since Paul Kariya was taken fourth overall in 1993 (Barry Beck was the highest at second overall in 1977), [32] the highest drafted Vancouver Giants player in the history of the franchise (surpassing Gilbert Brulé, who was drafted sixth overall in 2005).[33] and the highest drafted black player in NHL history.[4] Less than a month later, the Thrashers signed Kane to an entry-level contract on July 20, 2009.[34]
Kane made the Thrashers' lineup out of his first NHL training camp for the 2009–10 season. He recorded his first career NHL point in his debut on October 3, 2009, earning an assist on a goal by Rich Peverley against the Tampa Bay Lightning.[35] His first goal was scored five days later, on October 8, beating Chris Mason with a snap shot in a 4–2 win over the St. Louis Blues.[36] He played his first NHL game in his hometown a couple months later in an away game against the Vancouver Canucks on December 10. Kane had a near-goal go to review as the Thrashers lost 4–2.[37] He suffered a left foot injury late in his rookie season, blocking a shot during a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 6, 2010. A CT scan three days later revealed a bone fracture.[38] He missed 15 games before returning to the lineup on April 3.[39] Playing in the Thrashers' last game of the season on April 10, he was challenged to a fight by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke. Kane landed two punches to Cooke's jaw, knocking him unconscious on the ice for several minutes.[40] Kane finished his NHL rookie campaign with 14 goals and 26 points in 66 games, ranked 12th among first-year point-scorers.[41]
== International play==
Medal record 	Medal record 	Medal record
Competitor for Canada 	Competitor for Canada 	Competitor for Canada
Ice hockey 	Ice hockey 	Ice hockey
World Junior Championships 	World Junior Championships 	World Junior Championships
Gold 	2009 Ottawa 	
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament	Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament	Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
Gold 	2008 Pardubice 	
Coming off his rookie season of major junior, Kane competed in the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, capturing gold with Canada's under-18 team.[42] He totalled four points in four games,[43] including an assist in the 6–3 gold medal game win against Russia.[44] Later that year, Kane was invited to Team Canada's selection camp for the 2009 World Junior Championships along with teammate Tyson Sexsmith.[45] Although he was not initially named to the final roster, a knee injury to Dana Tyrell in tournament exhibition play made a roster spot available and Kane was chosen as his replacement.[46] As the youngest player on the team,[47] Kane contributed six points in six games, helping Canada to a fifth straight gold medal with a 5–1 victory over Sweden in the final.
Following his rookie season in the NHL, Kane was named to Team Canada for the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany.[48] General manager Mark Messier made a specific effort to assemble a young team;[49] as a result, Kane was one of five teenagers on the roster.[50] He finished the tournament with two goals and two assists in seven games, as his playing time increased over the course of the event.[51] Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinal by Russia and finished in seventh place.[52]
== Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2005–06 	North Shore Winter Club 	Bantam 		66 	— 	— 	140 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Greater Vancouver Canadians	BCMML 		30 	22 	32 	54 	150 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Vancouver Giants 	WHL 		8 	1 	0 	1 	11 		5 	0 	0 	0 	0
2007–08 	Vancouver Giants 	WHL 		65 	24 	17 	41 	66 		10 	1 	2 	3 	8
2008–09 	Vancouver Giants 	WHL 		61 	48 	48 	96 	89 		17 	7 	8 	15 	45
2009–10 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 		66 	14 	12 	26 	62 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
WHL totals	WHL totals 	WHL totals		134 	73 	65 	138 	166 		32 	8 	10 	18 	53
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
===[edit] International===
Year 	Team 	Event 		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2008 	Canada 	U18 		4 	1	3	4 	6
2009 	Canada 	WJC 		6 	2	4	6 	2
2010 	Canada 	WC 		7 	2	2	4 	6
Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals		10	3	7	10 	8
Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals		7 	2	2	4 	6
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
== Awards==
=== CHL===
Award 	Year(s)
Memorial Cup (Vancouver Giants)	2007
=== WHL===
Award 	Year(s)
Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy nomination (rookie of the year)	2008[11]
Player of the Week 	October 12, 2008[15]
January 12, 2009[19]
West First All-Star Team 	2009[24]
=== International===
Award 	Year(s)
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament gold medal (Team Canada)	2008
World Junior gold medal (Team Canada) 	2009
== Records==
*Vancouver Giants franchise record; most goals, single-season - 48 in 2008–09 (surpassed Adam Courchaine - 43 in 2002–03)[21]
Category:Atlanta Thrashers players
Category:Atlanta Thrashers draft picks