Oilers’ Kane Has Matured Despite What Antropov Recalls of Him

Evander Kane and the Edmonton Oilers have been a perfect match. The power forward co-led the 2022 Playoffs with 13 goals and was an instrumental piece in helping the team reach the Western Conference Final. Moreover, he’s become one of the team’s leaders on and off the ice in Oil Country.

Now 31 years old, Kane has settled in nicely in Edmonton and by all accounts has been on his best behaviour; however, that wasn’t always the case. In his earlier days in the NHL, it was rumoured that he was problematic and not a good teammate. Former player Nikolai Antropov spoke of that recently on the “The Cam & Strick” Podcast which features hosts, former NHL veteran Cam Janssen and hockey insider Andy Strickland. The now-retired Antropov played 13 seasons in the NHL and was a teammate of Kane’s from 2009-2013 with the Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets organizations. On the podcast, the topic of conversation shifted toward the infamous incident involving former NHLer Dustin Byfuglien throwing Kane’s clothes in the shower.

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Antropov summarized the incident, saying “[Kane] was an 18-year-old, coming from the Western Hockey League, making [a] million dollars,” He added, “So, he was different back then. He wouldn’t listen to anybody, so I guess that’s why the whole incident happened. Like Buff threw his sh*t in the f***ing hot tub and stuff.”

Antropov Recalls Kane’s Unwillingness to Listen, Causing Separation

Like many young adults finding their way in life, many are bound to make mistakes; however, Kane’s flaws were highlighted due to being a professional athlete in the limelight. Antropov dove deeper into the matter and said, “He was just a young f***ing punk to me. That was my 11th and 12th year in the league. So, I tried to help.” He added, “He wouldn’t f***ing listen back then. So, no one really had time for him back in the day.” Kane spoke about that incident in 2019, saying his clothes were indeed found in the shower but cleared the air saying, “The tracksuit was a made-up word. I was wearing clothes that didn’t look like [a suit]. Nonetheless, very shortly after the incident, the forward was traded to the Buffalo Sabres.

Throughout Kane’s 14 NHL seasons, he’s had stops with the Thrashers, Jets, Sabres, San Jose Sharks and now the Oilers. Although he’s had a…