Evander Kane of the San Jose Sharks addressed several topics in his sit-down interview with Linda Cohn of ESPN, his first since a number of controversies came to light starting last January. Kane filed for bankruptcy to protect himself from creditors after racking up huge gambling debts. There were also accusations from his estranged wife Anna that he bet on games he was involved in. In the interview, Kane admitted to having a gambling problem when asked about being $27 million in debt.
"Obviously, there was some bad decision made by myself, financially, for different reasons," said Kane.
"I then realized I need to start making some better decisions moving forward and filing for bankruptcy was the first step in that direction."
As for the allegations that he bet on games in the NHL, bet on games he played in and intentionally threw games to make money, Kane called them "incredibly false."
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"I'm going to be exonerated of those allegations," said Kane.
"To be clear, Evander, have you ever bet on an NHL game?," asked Cohn.
"Not at all," answered Kane.
"Have you ever bet on any one of your own games?," asked Cohn.
"Never," answered Kane.
"Have you ever intentionally tried to lose a game?"
"No," said Kane.
"Have you ever altered the way you played because of a bet you or perhaps anyone else have made?," asked Cohn.
"Not at all," said Kane.
Kane admitted that gambling has been a "big part of my life for a number of years."
"It was something that I would say I definitely had a problem with at certain points throughout those years. Sometimes more than others. I gambled one night before a playoff game. I wasn't supposed to be doing it, did it and, obviously, didn't do very well that evening."
Kane is likely referring to a first-round series between San Jose and the Vegas Golden Knights in 2019. It is alleged he still has unpaid loans from that night.
"That was an example of my problem getting the better of me," said Kane. "I had a gambling problem. And, when you have a gambling problem, just like a drinking problem or a drug problem, sometimes you can't control your actions."
"I think the worst thing that ever happened to me was winning big, because you think you can do it again."
Kane insisted he sought help for his problem and said he is no longer gambling in any form. As for reports that his teammates want him out of San Jose, Kane had this to say.
"It's easy to point the finger at me. I think it's easy to try and make me the scapegoat because of some of my personal issues that are playing out in the public. I think it's an easy cop-out. At the same time, I don't necessarily know or believe that that's true. So, when it comes to the media, I really take it with a grain of salt."
Asked what he wants people to know about him, Kane said he's a black player in a white sport who has a big personality that he realizes rubs people the wrong way sometimes.
"But it's not meant to," he added.
"I'm not looking for people to feel sorry for me, that's the last thing I need."
"I'm just asking to be treated fairly and judged accordingly."
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