Oilers' Evander Kane gives update on frightening injury
The Edmonton Oilers took a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, but the victory was overshadowed by a scary-looking injury suffered by Edmonton's Evander Kane in the second period. Kane updated fans on Wednesday morning.
At the 3:27 mark of the second period, Kane was knocked over by Tampa Bay's Philippe Myers and was still down on the ice when teammate Patrick Maroon accidentally cut him on the wrist with a skate blade. The 31-year-old winger frantically scampered to the bench, leaving a "pool of blood" on the ice, according to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic.
"There were many faces of concern on the Oilers bench as Kane headed toward the dressing room and also in the immediate aftermath. Sportsnet television reporter Gene Principe heard Kane asking for help repeatedly after he’d gotten off the ice," Nugent-Bowman wrote. "Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said he first saw the pool of blood out of his periphery and then watched as Kane zipped off the ice, putting pressure on the affected area. Woodcroft tried to alert the officials to stop play."
The Oilers' official Twitter account gave an update later during the contest, noting that Kane was "stable" and had "been transported to (the) hospital for a procedure" later in the night.
Edmonton captain Connor McDavid was among those asked about the scene after the win.
"To be honest, I don’t handle that stuff very well," the five-time All-Star said. "I haven’t even seen the replay. I probably won’t watch. ... He was rushing as fast as I’ve seen. His eyes were as wide as a person’s can be. We got the sense of how alarming it was and how scared he was. We were all scared for him. It’s obviously a situation that you don’t want to see."
Kane signed with the Oilers last January after spending the previous three-plus seasons with the San Jose Sharks. Edmonton's decision to bring in Kane sparked backlash, as the former first-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers has been involved in numerous controversies over his career.
He was waived by the Sharks earlier in January with the team claiming he breached his contract by breaking COVID-19 protocols. Kane was suspended 21 games last season for submitting a false COVID-19 vaccination card.
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