NHL investigation claims Shark Kane bet on his own game

The NHL said it will investigate an allegation made by Evander Kane’s wife that the San Jose Sharks forward bet on his own game and deliberately tried to lose the game for gambling profit.

The league said on Twitter on Saturday night that it has learned of social media posts in Anna Kane’s Instagram account and plans to conduct a full investigation. Anna Kane wrote: “How does the NHL allow a compulsive gambling addict to still play games when he is obviously throwing games to win money? Well, maybe someone needs to solve this problem.”

She added: “Someone can ask (Commissioner) Gary Bateman how do they let players gamble on their games? Betting with bookmakers in their games and winning?”

In another article, Anna Kane accused her husband of partying extravagantly in Europe, and at the same time asked her to sell her wedding ring to survive, and wrote that she could not buy infant formula for her child.

The NHL stated: “The integrity of our game is of utmost importance, and the league takes these allegations very seriously.”

A team spokesperson wrote in an email to the Associated Press: “The San Jose Sharks have contacted the National Hockey League today regarding the serious allegations against Evan De Kane. We support full and transparent information about the situation. To maintain the integrity of the game and consistency with our team’s values.”

For some time, Kane’s gambling history and financial situation have been known to the public. A casino on the Las Vegas Strip sued Kane in 2019, claiming that he had failed to repay the $500,000 gambling debt he had accumulated during the playoff series against the Golden Cavaliers.

Since the Supreme Court paved the way for the legalization of sports betting in the United States and more states have adopted it, the NHL accepted this possibility and established several partnerships with sports betting and other betting organizations.

Contacted by email before the alliance’s announcement, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daley said that only one statement would be issued. The alliance stated that it will not make any further comments at this time.

The message sent to Kane’s agent did not return immediately.

Kane, 29, signed a seven-year contract worth $49 million for three seasons. After being selected by Atlanta/Winnipeg and making his debut and working in Buffalo, he worked in his third organization. According to Capfriendly, who counts hockey salaries, his income in the NHL career is slightly less than $56 million.

Last season, he had 22 goals and 27 assists in 56 games.