Buffalo Sabres star forward Evander Kane is at the center of a sexual offense investigation, according to police sources of The Buffalo News. Details are still scarce, but the Sabres winger was reportedly involved in an incident on Sunday morning at a hotel near the team’s arena in downtown Buffalo.
From the report:
Kane has not been charged with any crime, and law enforcement officials would confirm only that there is an ongoing investigation by officers from the department’s Sex Offense Squad.
“We have an investigation ongoing,” a Buffalo police source said. “We are not naming the suspect, and we do not expect it to be resolved in the very near future.”
Another law enforcement source said the woman was having “memory issues.”
If this story seems familiar, it may be because another Kane – Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane – was involved in a lengthy (and bizarre) sexual assault investigation over the summer, also in the Buffalo area. Ultimately, the Blackhawks winger was never charged with a crime.
As for the Sabres’ Kane, the 24-year-old was not present at the team’s practice because of “personal reasons” on Sunday. Both Kane’s lawyer and agent declined to comment on the accusations, but the Sabres released the following statement:
“We take the allegation made today against Evander Kane very seriously. We are gathering facts and have been in touch with the NHL and Evander’s representatives. Until we have more information we will not have any additional comment.”
With the investigation still in its early stages, it likely only be a matter of time before details of the incident in question leak to the public. Regardless of any future developments, this is already yet another bad look for the NHL, which has had quite a bit of recent off-ice controversies, especially with star players.
(Via The Buffalo News)
