I see your point but my thinking is if they were sure nothing happened there wouldn't be a GJ.
- Al

DAs can use it to insulate themselves .... They didn't decide to indict or not, the GJ did. So they don't have to decide to indict a popular player or if the village wants and indictment and there isn't enough evidence, he or she can claim that it wasn't their fault he wasn't indicted (see officer Wilson case as a GJ example of no indictment)

Updated story:

http://www.wgrz.com/story...fore-grand-jury/71670684/

There is no comparison between deflategate and Kane...None.
Ultimately the ball incident happened becasue the NFL didn't not have the proper protocol in place...But the last thing they will do is blame themselves.
That was why it was misguided to suspend Brady for so long when the same stuff has been going on for years.
- Al

Not to get on a football tangent, but how do you suspend a player with no direct evidence that he did anything relative to the balls? While at the same time, an employee of the NFL touches the ball before every play, and was unable to tell there was anything wrong. Good to see the judge slap the idiots down.

Compared to the other 3 major sports, the NFL management is a clown car.

Sooner or later the players would be asked questions and have to reply. It's not surprising Toews is the first to comment publically and he said everything you'd expect him to say.
- DarthKane

Don't doubt that he was well coached by the PR folks on West Madison.

Has anyone reported whether or not Kane can/must be suspended when training camp starts (if this is still unresolved which looks very likely at this point) and if the Hawks get cap relief while Kane is suspended?

Not sure what this means...

@JaredSHopkins: A buffalo TV station is reporting a witness in Patrick Kane case was subpoenaed to appear before grand jury http://t.co/1FIBdP83Wa
- golfbard

WMAQ just stated the same on their 10 PM news. It means that a grand jury is investigating. And that could means months before the GJ reaches a decision on whether to bring charges.

At the Grand Jury level the case can still go either way.

Lots of counties use the Grand Jury to get out of pressing charges.

Sometimes at GJ the witness or victim change their statements and the case gets thrown out for no probable cause.

They could have already pressed charges and arrested Kane without the GJ.
- mrpaulish

Ferguson, MO to cite a recent example. GJ decided not to charge the officer.

Toews said nothing surprising...or particularly news worthy.

Jon and all his mates will repeatedly make the same public statements when camp opens, and nothing will change until the incident is officially resolved.

Edit...now it would be interesting to hear what the players say in private, but I doubt we ever will.
- ArlingtonRob

I'm actually more curious if he said anything about Antti Raanta than anything involving Patrick Kane.

Updated story:

http://www.wgrz.com/story...fore-grand-jury/71670684/
- walleyeb1

Thanks...

...I'm afraid this is gonna drag well into this season, and perhaps well into 2016.

Not to get on a football tangent, but how do you suspend a player with no direct evidence that he did anything relative to the balls. While at the same time, an employee of the NFL touches the ball before every play, and was unable to tell there was anything wrong.

Compared to the other 3 major sports, the NFL management is a clown car.
- scottak

Well that's the same view basically the judge had...
Like I said earlier the League was at fault for improper supervision.
But the NFL more so than any other sport is so big they must feel they can do no wrong. ...And when they do Goodell is used as shield by the owners and he obliges as he makes about 30-40 million a year...

I'm actually more curious if he said anything about Antti Raanta than anything involving Patrick Kane.
- Sandus

There's a link to the interview somewhere...

...can't recall where I saw it.

Not sure if Raanta's comments were discussed.

Thanks...

...I'm afraid this is gonna drag well into this season, and perhaps well into 2016.
- ArlingtonRob

I'm thinking in the best case scenario there will be no Kane until December....

WMAQ just stated the same on their 10 PM news. It means that a grand jury is investigating. And that could means months before the GJ reaches a decision on whether to bring charges.
- scottak

Wonder how much that affects the Hawks and the NHL's decision process on this mess. McD must be beside himself.

There's a link to the interview somewhere...

...can't recall where I saw it.

Not sure if Raanta's comments were discussed.
- ArlingtonRob

I saw that but I don't have access to sound. Is there a transcript somewhere?

I'm actually more curious if he said anything about Antti Raanta than anything involving Patrick Kane.
- Sandus

https://m.soundcloud.com/...e-for-third-time-a-thrill

I'm thinking in the best case scenario there will be no Kane until December....
- Al

Suppose he's out for several months of the season and suspended by the Blackhawks but not the NHL. Do you allow him to practice with the team to keep him up to speed and prepare for a possible return? Or do you dry land him until there is some sort of conclusion to the grand jury trial and then have to wait for him to shake off the rust if he comes back?

Suppose he's out for several months of the season and suspended by the Blackhawks but not the NHL. Do you allow him to practice with the team to keep him up to speed and prepare for a possible return? Or do you dry land him until there is some sort of conclusion to the grand jury trial and then have to wait for him to shake off the rust if he comes back?
- Sandus

No practice and not around the team at all.
The team could still monitor his conditioning but he will be in parts unknown until not suspended.

Has anyone reported whether or not Kane can/must be suspended when training camp starts (if this is still unresolved which looks very likely at this point) and if the Hawks get cap relief while Kane is suspended?
- EbonyRaptor

The cap relief part will be decided by the NHL but I would think there will be some.
From what I have heard he most certainly can be suspended.

That doesn't sound good.
- EKB13

It really doesn't mean anything at this point.

As it was talked about last week, this DA has a 98% conviction rate. He wants to run for public office in the near future. The prevailing thought was he would let a grand jury decide whether or not to file charges in this case, as it could bury him politically one way or the other.

No Pokka for the rookie tournament??

One thing that bothers me a lot though is that Kane hasnt denied anything publicly.

The whole situation sucks.
- mrpaulish

You are not going to hear anything from Patrick Kane while this case is still up in the air. I can guarantee you his attorney has him on a strict gag order. In a case like this, with as much publicity as it has received, you don't want the accused saying anything that will incite either side.

It is the safest course of action.

DAs can use it to insulate themselves .... They didn't decide to indict or not, the GJ did. So they don't have to decide to indict a popular player or if the village wants and indictment and there isn't enough evidence, he or she can claim that it wasn't their fault he wasn't indicted (see officer Wilson case as a GJ example of no indictment)
- stljam

But a GJ does move the yardsticks somewhat.

The woman hasn't recanted (although she still could).

No deal done (although still possible).

The DA has decided that there is at least something worth bring forward even if he half hopes they don't indict. The threshold for indicting isn't that high.

This certainly puts the Hawks in a bigger bind - more time till this gets resolved and greater chance it goes badly.

I think if you look at the lineup we just beat Tampa with in the Cup finals.....assuming they can stay healthy, find a way to move Bickell(mabye retain a bit of his salary) and a nice prospect(McNeil?) for a bag of pucks, and mainly assuming :

Kane is here for at least roughly the 2nd half of the regular season, hopefully more, if not all 82 games. Those are big question marks depending on many variables, but still its worthwhile to consider them especially if Kane apologies and seriously commits to being more mature while also possibly sitting out time to take serious steps towards looking at himself in the mirror, and to avoid the inevitable swarming of media attention the team would receive once the season got underway. This might assure he remains a Blackhawk for life, especially if the team continues to flourish in large part because Kaner is bein Kaner(which would bring forth an unstoppable wave of Kane worship to the point where if the Hawks ever traded him they'd be causing a massive riot among Hawks fans that will be 100 times worse to the Hawks precious "image" and "brand" that i keep seeing referenced, 100 times worse than whatever perceived distraction this off season rape allegation rumor saga has caused....which brings me back to:

The potential the Hawks have for this upcoming season if all those things go smoothly and are wrapped up in time:


line 1: Dano(replacing Sharp, unknown but massive potential to be great, fit right in with fellow Slovak Hossa, and possibly immediately replace Sharps pt totals) - Toews - Hossa

line 2: Panarin(replacing Saad, unknown but potential to be great if not at least fill in admirably and replace Saad's dazzling breakaway speed and world class finishing ability) - Anisimov(replacing Richards, and should be a slight upgrade) - Kane

line 3: Versteeg(plays the way he did in the finals and he's one of the NHL's better 3rd line wingers) - Teravainen(should be even better, might move up to the top 6 if he proves to be too good) - Garbutt/Tikhonov/Nordstrom/Baun/Hartman(collectively i think we have enough there to replace Vermette for that final 3rd line spot)

line 4: Desjardins - Kruger - Shaw <-----NHL's best 4th line AINEC

13th forward: Garbutt/Tikhonov/Nordstrom/Baun/Tropp/Hartman/endless supply of options...


D pairing 1: Keith - Hjalmarsson

D pairing 2: Daley(replacing Oduya, potential to learn from Q's system and use his speed to flourish on the attack. Definitely an upgrade on Oduya's offensive ability and also will improve the PP potential) - Seabrook

D pairing 3: TVR(if healthy he should be improved, looks like the real deal as a rookie in his first 20 NHL games, very unique trait to be so calm and smart in his own end with such little experience, and also looked very sound in little action in the finals against TBL. This guy looks like future 2nd pairing material for sure.) - Rundblad/cheap vet(can't possible be worse than Kimmo).

7th defenseman: Rundblad/cheap vet(cant possibly be worse than Kimmo).


Starting goalie: Crawford
Backup: Darling


That team will repeat.
- SimpleJack

Eternal which is what you have in the way of
Optimism ,but I'll take a glass of strawberry with some ice . Tooooo many unknowns and THERE WILL be a number of teams coming at them with A HUGE case of the ass on a nightly basis trying to dethrone them in all ways.

Unless Bowman pulls a feather out of his ass and adds at some point, no way Panerin, tik what ever his last name is and a few others replace what we lost. Especially if Kane winds up in jail. (be looking forward to seeing him on lock up ) at some point if he is found guilty.

Ultimately the D A has decided to leave the decision whether to charge Kane with a crime up to the Grand Jury, that way nobody can ever say he gave preferential treatment and he won't have groups picketing his office if he had decided not to charge Kane.

One of the earlier posts is correct the threshold for an indictment is much lower than a trial. If the grand jury were to indict Kane it would mean there is enough evidence to believe that a crime was committed. Kane would then plead Not Guilty, bail would be set and there would be a series of hearings and court briefs filed long before a trial.

If the grand jury indicts him this is going to a long long process. A trial might not start until early 2016.

If the Grand Jury chooses to "no bill" Kane that means it does not believe there was strong enough evidence to warrant a criminal charge. This would give Kane firm ground to claim he is innocent and he did Not sexually assault the woman.

Either way a ton is at stake. Kane could still be indicted and be found Not Guilty at trial. But in that case he would be dogged by the label "accused rapist"

At this point his fate will rest with the 23 members of a grand jury. Yikes !!!![/img]

No Pokka for the rookie tournament??
- the_dough_boy

They opted for the Fox Trot.