This post will be discussing topics of financial abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment and gambling addiction. Please take care as you read.
Earlier today, a Twitter account that posts and tracks the San Jose Sharks players’ activity on Instagram posted screenshots from an account that appears to belong to the wife of Sharks forward Evander Kane. While the account only has three posts, it is followed not only by several Sharks players, but those players’ partners as well, suggesting it is legitimately run by Anna Kane.
There is some very serious accusations being made by Evander Kane’s wife saying that Evander is gambling on his own games #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/D63zufsdI1
— SJ Sharks Coverage (@SJSharksNewsIG) July 31, 2021
The first post is an email from Evander Kane to Anna, about the details of her moving out of their shared home. The captions read [sic]:
What a guy.
This is when the addiction is more important then anyone and everything. My heart goes out to anyone who has to deal with loved ones addicted to anything in any form who put that before their own family.
The following screenshots are from the Stories function, where the post is only available for 24 hours, unless saved to your profile. The first is a note to Evander (lightly edited for clarity):
So you leave July 8th. You do not call or text at all for seven days, then you inform me you are going to Europe for a vacation. Must be nice, but at the same time tell me our house is being taken by the bank. But do not come home to help [your] pregnant wife pack or help her with anything at all. You have enough money to party and stay in hotels in Europe, go to dinners every night, but I can’t buy my daughter formula and [you] force me to sell my wedding ring to have any money to survive, as you party every day, every night, never calling your daughter and never asking, not even one time, how I’m doing by myself.
I don’t know if there are even words to describe the kind of evil person you are to abandon your wife, who is pregnant with [your] son, and your one year old daughter, who walked around the house with her bunny for a week saying “dada,” looking for you. Don’t post old pictures like [you’re] home or like [you’re] with her. Everyone knows the type of person you are.
To be clear, this accusation meets the definition of financial abuse. Having deep control over your partner’s spending and forcing the sale of their personal items while living as if you personally have no financial burdens is a form of abuse that keeps your partner dependent and unable to acquire enough personal wealth to leave.
Anna continues in the remaining posts with accusations that Kane has been throwing games while betting on them, calling him a “compulsive gambling addict.” While betting on the Sharks to win would generally be acceptable, betting against yourself as an athlete is illegal, as fixing to lose a game is much easier than fixing to win it. She even alleges players on the Sharks bought Kane a copy of the book “Casino Gambling for Dummies,” calling it a sign that Kane is “not the best at the tables.”
Also this pic.twitter.com/UobfjuSH2x
— Mitya Reznikov (@MityaReznikov) July 31, 2021
Given the record of Kane’s financial trouble — he filed for bankruptcy in January — and previous gambling debts, it’s not much of a stretch.
Which is why the NHL has announced they are going to be investigating Evander Kane. The statement from the league is as follows:
“The League was made aware this evening of a post on social media alleging that San Jose Sharks Player Evander Kane bet on NHL games. The integrity of our game is paramount and the League takes these allegations very seriously. We intend to conduct a full investigation and will have no further comment at this time.”
Of course, it’s not about the assault charges, or the sexual assault investigation, or the sexual harassment charges, or the multiple forced abortions lawsuit or any of the actual abusive traits that Anna has so bravely opened up about, but the accusation that the games were thrown so Kane could make a quick buck.
Why?
Because it could hit the NHL in their pockets. I can’t imagine Betway, FanDuel Sportsbook, PointBet, WilliamHill or the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority are very happy about these accusations and that’s a pretty decent chunk of the league’s Corporate Marketing Partners. It’s not ever about the harm he’s done or who he has harmed — unless he’s harming the NHL’s bank account.
And if that is what gets Evander Kane thrown out of the league, it will continue to be an injustice against all of those women left in his wake.
SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Gam-Anon: https://www.gam-anon.org/
Gamblers Anonymous: http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/
National Council on Problem Gambling: https://www.ncpgambling.org/
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
National Domestic Violence Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/
RAINN: www.rainn.org
NNEDV’s Economic Justice Project: https://nnedv.org/content/economic-justice/
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