Evander Kane clearly sees and hears the opinions of the local media covering the Edmonton Oilers. While most players probably choose to stay as far away from the thoughts and critiques of media personalities as they can, Kane seems to be well aware of what others are saying. In fact, he seems to thrive on it. On Friday, after the Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings 6-1, Kane threw the opinions of one media member back in his face.
It was a feel-good moment for Kane fans. And, for those who are not an admirer of Mark Spector’s work for Sportsnet, they saw it as a bit of karma.
What’s the Back Story to the Kane and Spector Beef?
For fans unaware, Spector went on a local radio show and said the following about Kane: “He doesn’t run his course as a player. He runs his course as a bringer of drama.” Spector spoke about Kane’s willingness to be open about his sports hernia injury (a surprise to many who know athletes typically keep that information hidden) and noted, “As has been the case all of Kane’s career, too much drama boys. Too much drama around Evander Kane. Useless drama.”
Not long after those comments, Kane came out and had his best game as an Oiler in quite some time. In Game 3, he posted a Gordie Howe hat trick — getting a beauty assist on the Leon Draisaitl goal, scoring, and getting in a fight. His teammates gave him a standing ovation as Kane came out of the penalty box, clearly impressed with his pushback after taking an illegal hit to the head.
Kane Let Spector Know He Wasn’t Impressed
After the Game 3 win, Spector was part of the media conference and asked Kane what it is about the playoffs and this time of year that makes him play so well. Asking, “Is it the physical part of the game, is it the pressure, is that it means more? What makes you play your best hockey this time of year?” Kane thought about it for a second and had the best possible response.
He said, “Just the drama of it all… just brings the best out of me.” Hilariously, Zach Hyman smirked while sitting beside Kane, completely aware of the reference.
For Spector, this was a clapback some believe he deserved. One could argue he was doing his job commenting on Kane’s decision to talk about his injury issues but most agreed that Spector crossed a line, taking his comments well beyond a simple analysis of why Kane decided to reveal his sports hernia issue. He generalized Kane’s career, suggesting he was a drama queen who was selfish and on the verge of working himself out of Edmonton. It wasn’t the first time Spector has hinted at friction between the team and the player.
Evander Kane Has Been Woken Up
Whether Spector’s comments were a catalyst for Kane to pick up his play, it’s clear that Kane is motivated. His coach elevated him up to the second line on Friday because his efforts in Game 1 and 2 earned him a shot in the top six. In Game 3, Kane was a man possessed. He lost coverage on the Drew Doughty goal — something Spector was also quick to point out — but he made up for it, scoring minutes later.
The most impressive part of Kane’s performance on Friday was his calmness. As several Kings went after him, Kane never lost his cool. Even in his fight with Andreas Englund, Kane calmly ushered Englund from the pack and fought him to show he wasn’t a fan of the dirty hit. The Kings took most of the penalties from that point on and it was their undoing.
Whether it was Spector or the Kings who woke Kane up, the point is, he’s now awake. That’s good news for the Oilers.
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