Evander Kane

Evander Frank Kane (born August 2, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Kane was selected fourth overall in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers.
During his major junior career, Kane won the Memorial Cup with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL) 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, 2011, 2012 and 2014 IIHF World Championships.
==Early life==
Kane was born on August 2, 1991, in Vancouver, British Columbia, to Perry and Sheri Kane, who named him after American boxer Evander Holyfield (he later met Holyfield at age 18). Kane has two sisters, Brea and Kyla, who are two and four years younger, respectively.
Coming from an athletic lineage, his father was an amateur boxer and hockey player. Kane's mother was a college volleyball player. His uncle, Leonard Kane, is a member of the Canadian Ball Hockey Hall of Fame. 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). Another cousin, Kirk Johnson, boxed for Canada at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and later fought John Ruiz for the 2002 World Boxing Association (WBA) Heavyweight title.
Growing up in East Vancouver, Kane attended high school at John Oliver Secondary. In addition to hockey, he played baseball, basketball and soccer growing up. After beginning to skate at the age of three, he began playing minor hockey at eight. His father instructed him in his early years and initially wanted to keep him out of organized hockey until Kane was ten. At the age of 14 years, Kane recorded 140 points in 66 games with the bantam North Shore Winter Club, 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). Kane also played minor hockey with the Vancouver Thunderbirds, prior to bantam and midget.
==Playing career==
===Amateur===
===Vancouver Giants (2006–09)===
Kane was drafted 19th overall in the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft by the Vancouver Giants. 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. Kane scored his first WHL goal, a game-tying marker, on March 25, 2007, the last game of the regular season. 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. He later appeared in two Memorial Cup games, tallying an assist, as part of the Giants' 2007 Memorial Cup championship.
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. He nevertheless recovered and joined the Giants full-time to tally 24 goals – third in team scoring – and 41 points in his first WHL season. Finishing tenth in rookie scoring, he was nominated for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as WHL rookie of the year, which was awarded to Brayden Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Kane emerged with an impressive start to the 2008–09 season, registering at least a point in each of his first 22 games. 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. Kane 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. Later that month, he participated in the 2009 CHL Top Prospects Game as captain for Team Cherry.
Kane finished his second WHL season with 48 goals and 96 points, fourth in League scoring. He surprassed Adam Courchaine's team record of 43 goals in a single season, set in 2002–03. 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. Kane received WHL West First Team All-Star honours along with teammates Pierro-Zabotel and Jonathon Blum. 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. 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.
===Professional===
===Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets (2009–2015)===
Kane was selected fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers. Less than a month later, the Thrashers signed Kane to an entry-level contract on July 20, 2009.
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. 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. He suffered a bone fracture, late in his rookie season, blocking a shot during a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 6, 2010. Kane missed 15 games before returning to the lineup on April 3. Kane finished his NHL rookie campaign with 14 goals and 26 points in 66 games, ranked 12th among first-year point-scorers.
Kane suffered several minor injuries during his second NHL season in 2010–11 season. During a game against the Colorado Avalanche on November 30, 2010, Kane suffered a left knee injury after he was struck by a shot from teammate Tobias Enström; he missed two games. The following month, he missed one game due to an arm injury, sustained during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 7. In January 2011, he missed an additional six games due to a lower-body injury. Kept from the lineup for a total nine games, Kane increased his points total to 43 with 19 goals and 24 assists. He ranked fifth in team point-scoring – third among forward behind captain Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little. 
During the off-season, the Thrashers franchise was bought and relocated by True North Sports and Entertainment, becoming the Winnipeg Jets. Kane was enjoying a successful first season as a Jet, leading his team in scoring with 18 goals and 31 points by mid-January 2012. During that month, however, he was sidelined with a concussion that was reported on January 21. Later in the season, he recorded a four-point game (two goals and two assists) in a 7–0 win against the Florida Panthers on March 1, 2012. On September 15, 2012, Kane signed a six-year, $31.5 million contract extension with the Jets.
As a result of the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Kane joined Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He was the first Canadian NHL player to sign a contract with the KHL. However, after 12 games with the club, in which he recorded one goal, Kane was released. The club's athletic director suggested that Kane "could not adapt to hockey in the KHL," but also said that both sides mutually agreed to end the contract.
On April 3, 2014, Kane was accused of assault, after an incident in Vancouver, and sued for financial damages. On April 5, 2014, Kane was a healthy scratch under new head coach Paul Maurice, in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. After the game, Maurice said it was a coach's decision, and that if Kane wanted back in the lineup, all he needed to do was "probably just come to the rink." On February 3, 2015 Kane was a healthy scratch against the Vancouver Canucks. It was later determined that he was scratched because of an incident with his teammates. Kane revealed in an October 2015 interview that he felt the Jets did not "have his back" throughout his legal and behavioral issuesKane says Jets "Didn't Have My Back" but instead felt that they traded away their problem. On August 1, Kane plead not guilty to charges alleging he grabbed three women during an altercation at a downtown Buffalo bar in June 2016.
=== Buffalo Sabres (2015–present) ===
The Jets traded Kane on February 11, 2015, as well as Zach Bogosian and the rights to Jason Kasdorf, to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux and a conditional first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft (Jack Roslovic). On October 14, 2016, Kane cracked three ribs in the season-opening game when he crashed into boards while fighting for the puck with Alexei Emelin of the Montreal Canadiens, which left him unable to play indefinitely.
==International play==
Kane competed in the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, capturing gold with Canada's under-18 team. He totalled four points in four games, including an assist in the 6–3 gold medal game win against Russia. Later that year, Kane competed on Team Canada during the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. As the youngest player on the team, 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 the Canadian men's team for the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany. General Manager Mark Messier made a specific effort to assemble a young team; as a result, Kane was one of five teenagers on the roster. He finished the tournament with two goals and two assists in seven games. Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinal by Russia and finished in seventh place.
The following year, Kane returned to the national team for the 2011 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia. Kane recorded two assists over seven games as Canada suffered a second consecutive defeat in the quarterfinal to Russia.
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
  	  	  	 	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 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2010–11 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 	 	72 	19 	24 	43 	68 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2011–12 	Winnipeg Jets 	NHL 	 	74 	30 	27 	57 	53 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012–13 	Dinamo Minsk 	KHL 	 	12 	1 	1 	2 	47 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012–13 	Winnipeg Jets 	NHL 	 	48 	17 	16 	33 	80 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013–14 	Winnipeg Jets 	NHL 	 	63 	19 	22 	41 	66 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014–15 	Winnipeg Jets 	NHL 	 	37 	10 	12 	22 	56 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2015–16 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	65 	20 	15 	35 	91 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	70 	28 	15 	43 	113 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	496 	157 	143 	300 	589 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Event 	Result 		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2008 	Canada 	U18 	 		4 	1	3	4 	6
2009 	Canada 	WJC 	 		6 	2	4	6 	2
2010 	Canada 	WC 	7th 		7 	2	2	4 	6
2011 	Canada 	WC 	5th 		7 	0	2	2 	4
Junior totals	Junior totals	Junior totals	Junior totals		10	3	7	10 	8
Senior totals	Senior totals	Senior totals	Senior totals		14	2	4	6 	10
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards==
===CHL===
Award 	Year(s)
Memorial Cup (Vancouver Giants)	2007
===WHL===
Award 	Year(s)
Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy nomination (rookie of the year)	2008
Player of the Week 	October 12, 2008 January 12, 2009
West First All-Star Team 	2009
===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)
==References==
==External links==
*
*Evander Kane on Twitter
*
*Evander Kane's TSN profile
Category:Born in 1991
Category:Atlanta Thrashers draft picks
Category:Atlanta Thrashers players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Memorial Cup winners
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:Winnipeg Jets (2011) Players
Category:Buffalo Sabres players