Sharks plan to terminate Evander Kane's contract after NHLer violates AHL protocols
Forward put on unconditional waivers, Yamamoto among 5 Oilers added to protocol
The latest sports news:
- Evan Bouchard, 4 other Oilers enter NHL protocol
- Vanessa James, Eric Radford withdraw from figure skating nationals
- Grizzlies' Jenkins becomes 14th NBA head coach to enter protocol
The San Jose Sharks have placed forward Evander Kane on unconditional waivers with the intent to terminate the remainder of his $49 million US, seven-year contract.
The Sharks said Saturday that they made the move because Kane violated COVID-19 protocols in the AHL where he is currently playing for the 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.
"We are aware of the Sharks' decision to put Evander on waivers for contract termination," said Kane's agent, Dan Milstein. "If he clears, we will file a grievance. The Sharks do not have sufficient grounds for taking this action."
The NHLPA issued a statement on Twitter saying the union also "intends to challenge any such action by filing a grievance."
We are aware of the San Jose Sharks’ stated intent to terminate Evander Kane’s contract. The NHLPA intends to challenge any such action by filing a grievance.
—@NHLPAThe move ends a monthslong saga 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 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 San Jose Barracuda in the AHL 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 career games.
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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Pittsburgh added forwards Bryan Rust and Brock McGinn to the protocols list before their 3-2 loss at Dallas on Saturday.
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.
Nearly half of NBA head coaches in protocol
Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins went into the NBA's health and safety protocols Saturday morning.
Jenkins became the 14th head coach in the 30-team league to miss time in recent weeks because of a virus-related issue, a figure that doesn't include numerous assistant coaches, other team staff and about 300 players.
The other head coaches to have done a protocols stint this season: Indiana's Rick Carlisle, Sacramento's Alvin Gentry, Phoenix's Monty Williams, Philadelphia's Doc Rivers, the Los Angeles Lakers' Frank Vogel, the Los Angeles Clippers' Tyronn Lue, Denver's Michael Malone, Portland's Chauncey Billups, Chicago's Billy Donovan, Milwaukee's Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta's Nate McMillan, Dallas' Jason Kidd and Oklahoma City's Mark Daigneault.
With files from The Canadian Press
