After missing out on the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row, Evander Kane was traded to the Vancouver Canucks for a fourth-round pick (117th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft. And while Oilers went on to pick 18-year-old David Lewandowski as a result, Kane’s trade to his hometown elicited mixed reactions, with a section of both Canucks and Oilers fans irked by the same.

Nevertheless, Kane was more than happy with the move. “It’s a good opportunity for me and for my family to play at home. Having the Oilers kind of work with me to go to a place that I wanted to be, and that I think would fit well for my family, was nice of them. I’m just really excited to be a Canuck,” Kane said after the trade.

After all, Kane was born and raised in East Vancouver and went to John Oliver Secondary School. In fact, he also spent two years of his early hockey career with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, racking up 48 goals and 61 games in 2008-09 before being drafted 4th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers. However, unfortunately, just days after the signing, the veteran winger’s name got involved in a rather unwelcome rumor.

On June 29, 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast posted on X that Evander Kane was reportedly attacked. The post read, “Evander Kane was jumped in Vancouver last night & he needed medical attention. He’s doing fine, which is great to hear. A video of the incident will be released to show that Kane did nothing wrong. His friends were being held back. Kane was minding his own business & out of nowhere, he was attacked.” However, the Vancouver Police Department chimed in to clarify that no such incident has happened in the area.

Meanwhile, the newly signed Canucks star, Evander Kane, has remained silent on the entire issue. He did not address the matter, neither through his social media platforms nor via any official statement or interview. The ex-Oilers winger is currently in the final year of his four-year $5.125 million AAV contract, and will become an unrestricted free agent should the Canucks choose not to renew it.