Evander Kane

Kane during the 2009 WHL playoffs

Kane was drafted 19th overall in the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft by the Vancouver Giants.[9] He received his first WHL call-up for a game against the Seattle Thunderbirds on December 13, 2006, due to other Giants players international commitments in the World Junior Championships.[9] Kane scored his first WHL goal, a game-tying marker, on March 25, 2007, the last game of the regular season.[11] He also suited up for five WHL post-season games, being originally called up for the playoffs after Giants forward Tim Kraus was suspended for game three of the opening round.[11] He later appeared in two Memorial Cup games, tallying an assist,[12] as part of the Giants' 2007 Memorial Cup championship.[13]

Set to begin his rookie campaign with the Giants the following season, Kane experienced a minor setback, as he was forced to miss the start of training camp with a case of mononucleosis.[14] He nevertheless recovered and joined the Giants full-time to tally 24 goals – third in team scoring –[15] and 41 points in his first WHL season. Finishing tenth in rookie scoring, he was nominated for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as WHL rookie of the year, which was awarded to Brayden Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings.[13]

Kane emerged with an impressive start to the 2008–09 season, registering at least a point in each of his first 22 games.[16] After recording his first WHL hat-trick on October 10, 2008, against the Kelowna Rockets, he was named WHL Player of the Week on October 12, succeeding linemate Casey Pierro-Zabotel, who had been chosen the previous week.[17] Kane earned a spot as an injury replacement at the 2009 World Junior Championships with Team Canada. Upon returning with a gold medal, Kane was named player of the week for the second time in the season on January 12, 2009, after scoring six points in two games immediately following the World Juniors.[18] Later that month, he participated in the 2009 CHL Top Prospects Game[19] as captain for Team Cherry.[12]

Kane finished his second WHL season with 48 goals and 96 points, fourth in League scoring.[20] He surpassed Adam Courchaine's team record of 43 goals in a single season, set in 2002–03.[21] Second in team scoring to Pierro-Zabotel's 115 points, the linemates finished one-two in all-time Giants' single-season scoring as Pierro-Zabotel and Kane both surpassed Gilbert Brulé's previous 87-point mark.[22] Kane received WHL West First Team All-Star honours along with teammates Pierro-Zabotel and Jonathon Blum.[23] In the subsequent 2009 playoffs, after the Giants swept the Prince George Cougars in the first round, Kane scored a double-overtime game-winner to force a seventh game in the second round against the Spokane Chiefs.[24] After eliminating the Chiefs in the seventh game, the Giants were then defeated by the Kelowna Rockets in six games in the semi-finals. In 17 post-season games, Kane accumulated 15 points.

Kane was selected fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers. Less than a month later, the Thrashers signed Kane to an entry-level contract on July 20, 2009.[25]

Kane as a member of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009

Kane made the Thrashers' lineup out of his first NHL training camp for the 2009–10 season. He recorded his first career NHL point in his debut on October 3, 2009, earning an assist on a goal by Rich Peverley against the Tampa Bay Lightning.[26] His first goal was scored five days later, on October 8, beating Chris Mason with a snap shot in a 4–2 win over the St. Louis Blues.[27] He suffered a bone fracture, late in his rookie season, blocking a shot during a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 6, 2010.[28] Kane missed 15 games before returning to the lineup on April 3.[29] Kane finished his NHL rookie campaign with 14 goals and 26 points in 66 games, ranked 12th among first-year point-scorers.[30]

Kane suffered several minor injuries during his second NHL season in 2010–11 season. During a game against the Colorado Avalanche on November 30, 2010, Kane suffered a left knee injury after he was struck by a shot from teammate Tobias Enström;[31] he missed two games.[29] The following month, he missed one game due to an arm injury,[29] sustained during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 7.[32] In January 2011, he missed an additional six games due to a lower-body injury.[29] Kept from the lineup for a total nine games, Kane increased his points total to 43 with 19 goals and 24 assists. He ranked fifth in team point-scoring – third among forward behind captain Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little.[33]

Kane with the Winnipeg Jets in March 2012

During the off-season, the Thrashers franchise was bought and relocated by True North Sports and Entertainment, becoming the Winnipeg Jets. Kane was very disappointed, and stated that he hates Winnipeg.[34] Kane was enjoying a successful first season as a Jet, leading his team in scoring with 18 goals and 31 points by mid-January 2012. During that month, however, he was sidelined with a concussion that was reported on January 21. Later in the season, he recorded a four-point game (two goals and two assists) in a 7–0 win against the Florida Panthers on March 1, 2012.[35] On September 15, 2012, Kane signed a six-year, $31.5 million contract extension with the Jets.[36]

As a result of the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Kane joined Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He was the first Canadian NHL player to sign a contract with the KHL.[37] However, after 12 games with the club, in which he recorded one goal, Kane was released. The club's athletic director suggested that Kane "could not adapt to hockey in the KHL," but also said that both sides mutually agreed to end the contract.[38]

Kane with the Jets in November 2014, his final season with the franchise.

On April 3, 2014, Kane was accused of assault, after an incident in Vancouver, and sued for financial damages.[39] On April 5, 2014, Kane was a healthy scratch under new head coach Paul Maurice, in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.[40] After the game, Maurice said it was a coach's decision, and that if Kane wanted back in the lineup, all he needed to do was "probably just come to the rink." On February 3, 2015 Kane was a healthy scratch against the Vancouver Canucks. It was later determined that he was scratched because of an incident with his teammates.[40] Kane revealed in an October 2015 interview that he felt the Jets did not "have his back" throughout his legal and behavioral issues[41] but instead felt that they traded away their problem.

The Jets traded Kane on February 11, 2015, as well as Zach Bogosian and the rights to Jason Kasdorf, to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux and a conditional first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft (Jack Roslovic).[42] On October 14, 2016, Kane cracked three ribs in the season-opening game when he crashed into boards while fighting for the puck with Alexei Emelin of the Montreal Canadiens, which left him unable to play indefinitely.[43]

Amid declining performance and approaching the end of his contract, Sabres management benched him ahead of the 2018 trade deadline.[44] On February 26, 2018, the Sabres traded Kane to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Danny O'Regan, a conditional first-round or second-round pick in 2019 and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2020.[45] In his Sharks debut, Kane had two assists in a 5–2 win against the Edmonton Oilers.[46] On March 16, 2018, Kane scored his first NHL hat-trick against the Calgary Flames, and then later added a fourth goal, contributing more than half the goals in the Sharks 7–4 win.[47]

On April 26, 2018, Kane received a one-game suspension for cross-checking Vegas Golden Knights forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare during Game 1 of the Western Conference semi-finals.[48] Through nine playoffs games, Kane recorded four goals and five points. On May 24, 2018, the Sharks re-signed Kane to a seven-year, $49-million contract worth $7 million annually.[49] Kane has said that he would like to remain with the Sharks for the rest of his career.[50]

During the 2018–19 season, Kane totaled 56 points (the second-highest point total of his career) and led the NHL in penalty minutes with 153.[51]

During the 2019–20 preseason, Kane was suspended three games for abuse of officials.[52] Two games after his suspension, Kane became the first Sharks player in franchise history to record a first period hat trick in a 5–2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.[53] Kane recorded another natural hat trick later that season when the Sharks visited the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2020, scoring three straight goals in just over 10 minutes during the second period in a 5–4 overtime loss.[54] After an elbowing hit in a game against the Winnipeg Jets on February 14, 2020, Kane was suspended for three games.[55] Kane repeated as league leader in penalty minutes with 122 while registering 26 goals and 47 points, marking his fifth consecutive season with at least 20 goals.[56]

Bold indicates led league