Sharks plan to terminate Evander Kane’s contract after NHLer violates AHL protocols | CBC Sports

The Sharks said Saturday they made the move because Kane violated COVID-19 protocols in the American Hockey League where he is currently playing for the San Jose Barracuda. The team said it would have no further comment.

The termination of the contract will cost Kane about $22.9 million remaining from the contract he signed in May 2018. A message was left seeking comment from Kane’s agent.

The move ends several months of uncertainty regarding Kane’s status with the Sharks. He faced accusations of gambling on games, purposely losing games he bet on, as well as sexual and physical abuse from his estranged wife Anna over the summer.

The NHL investigated and found no evidence to support those allegations but did suspend Kane for 21 games for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.

When the suspension was lifted at the end of November, the Sharks placed Kane on waivers and sent him to the AHL when he was unclaimed.

Kane had eight points in five games with the Barracuda before being placed in the AHL’s COVID-19 protocols on Dec. 22.

The 30-year-old Kane had 22 goals and 22 assists in 56 games last season for the Sharks. Kane also has played for the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise and Buffalo since being drafted by the Thrashers fourth overall in 2009.

Kane has 264 goals and 242 assists in 769 NHL regular-season contests.

Oilers add 5 players to protocol

The Edmonton Oilers placed five more players into the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol on Saturday.

Forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Brendan Perlini, goaltender Ilya Konovalov and defencemen Evan Bouchard and Slater Koekkoek were added to the list, the Oilers said in a news release.

Three other Edmonton players – Connor McDavid, Tyson Barrie and Derek Ryan – were already in protocol.

Six unidentified members of the team’s support staff were also added to the list Saturday, the team said.

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Figure skaters James, Radford pull out of nationals

Vanessa James and Eric Radford withdrew from the pairs competition at the Canadian figure skating championships before Saturday’s free program in Ottawa.

James and Radford were fourth in Friday’s short program. Both skaters contracted COVID-19 over the Christmas holidays and only returned to the ice to train earlier this week after spending 10 days in quarantine.

Radford is a two-time world champion with former partner Meagan Duhamel and came out of retirement at age 36 to compete with James, a Toronto native who’d previously skated for France.

The two said earlier in the week that they hoped if they were still feeling too under-the-weather to compete, that they could appeal to be on the Canadian team based on season results.

Radford had compared the global pandemic to “an invisible minefield” for athletes during what’s already a stressful time.