"How does the NHL let a compulsive gambling addict still play"

Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane once found himself in the midst of controversy when his wife accused him of betting on NHL games. The incident took place in August 2021.

Anna Kane, the ex-wife of Evander Kane, took to Instagram to accuse him of "throwing games to win money."

"How does the NHL let a compulsive gambling addict still play when he's obviously throwing games to win money? Hmm, maybe someone needs to address this."

Anna posted about not being able to pay for baby formula for their child in a separate story where she accused her husband of lavishly partying in Europe while begging her to sell her wedding ring to survive.

This was a major statement considering such charges could have hurt Kane's reputation as a player.

Kane strongly denied the allegations on Twitter:

"I have NEVER gambled/bet on Hockey, NEVER gambled/bet on a Sharks game, NEVER gambled/bet on any of my games and NEVER thrown a hockey game,'' he said.

He added:

"The facts are, I personally had the best season of my career last year and was the most consistent I've been throughout any season, I'm proud of that. I love the game of hockey and would never do any of what was alleged. I look forward to cooperating fully with the league's investigation and having my name cleared, and I look forward to this upcoming season."

What followed the allegations against Evander Kane

To protect the integrity of the game, the NHL and the San Jose Sharks conducted a thorough and open investigation of the allegations.

Some athletes who knew Kane or had played with him felt he had a gambling problem. However, they were of the opinion that he didn't actually bet on hockey games.

One NHL player told ESPN:

"Did he like to gamble? Sure. I just don't believe he was actually betting on hockey games."

"I never once heard him say he bet on hockey," one of Kane's former teammates said.

Kane's gaming problems have long been known to the general public. He was sued by a Las Vegas Strip casino in 2019 on the grounds that he didn't pay back a $500,000 gambling debt accrued during a playoff series against the Golden Knights. The casino dropped the case in 2020.

Kane submitted a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition in January 2021. He stated in his legal documents that he lost $1.5 million at casinos and via a bookie during the course of a 12-month period prior to filing for bankruptcy.

Later that year, the NHL concluded its investigation and said it had found no evidence of Kane betting on games.