Happily Evander After (evander kane)

evander kane

Happily Evander After

By GARTH'S CORNER

Jan 8, 2016 • 7:55 am

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On Thursday afternoon, the Buffalo Sabres departed for their three game roadie.

The Midwest has never been kind to the Buffalo Sabres.

Losers of five straight games and dogged by a massive goal scoring drought, the first stop will be Chicagoland on Friday night.

The Sabres will have their mitts full trying to contain Artemi Panarin and his high flying Balckhawks.

On December 19, Patrick Kane shocked his hometown fans and friends when he scored the game tying goal late in regulation, then scored the shootout winner to give his Hawks the come from behind win.

Game two of the road trip will see Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian return to Winnipeg for the first time since the late February 2015 trade that saw Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford., Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux and a draft choice land in The Peg.

Kane wanted a change of scenery and he was granted his wish when Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and Tim Murray pulled off the blockbuster trade that took the NHL by surprise.

On Wednesday, Kane told The Buffalo News that he is looking forward to being back in The Peg on Saturday and Sunday.

“Obviously, a lot of people I’m sure are looking forward to that game,… Kane said. “It’ll be fun.…

"It can be hostile," Kane remarked about Winnipeg's arena ambience.

"They've got some passionate fans there. I guess that's the way to put it, passionate."

Kane has referred to Winnipeg as being a like an aquarium.

"Winnipeg is a very small town but it’s a big hockey market," Kane said. "It’s a little tougher than a Vancouver or Toronto where you can maybe get away a little bit. It’s a fishbowl. Being a Winnipeg Jet is something that everybody knew who you were, and they always wanted to talk to you, which is great. That was one of the things that you definitely enjoy, but negative things can take a toll a little bit."

To welcome Kane home, Jets fans have launched a Twitter campaign that has been been encouraging Jets fans to wear track suits to the Sunday 3pm game at MTS Centre.

#TrackSuitNight is in reference to the brouhaha Kane made before his trade. In his hometown of Vancouver, Kane was a kept out of the Jets lineup after he wore a track suit to the arena, which was a violation of the club's dress code. Said track suit ended up in the shower.

On December 27, a Buffalo police probe of Kane came to light regarding an incident that allegedly took place at a Buffalo hotel.

Kane has not been charged with any crime, and law enforcement officials would confirm only that there is an ongoing investigation.

Police officials have cited no specific allegations against Kane in the case.

Kane has denied any wrongdoing in the case and that he looks forward to having his name cleared.

Let the Jets fans have their fun at Kane's expense. He has moved on to a new team in a new city.

At his introductory presser in Buffalo last year, Kane shed some light on the track suit caper.

"It was just speculation," Kane said. "I’m not really going to get into the details of what happened. Was I wearing a track suit? No, but like I said, it’s something that tends to get blown out of proportion, especially playing in a Canadian market. There’s been numerous things that have happened in the past that are completely false, and we’ll leave it at that."

Kane admitted that he knows that there will be a lot of hype surrounding his first official trip back to Winnipeg. He’s going to do the best he can to block out all of the track suit smack. The only thing that he is interested in is grabbing two points off of the Jets and then high tailing it of town to Minneapolis for Tuesday night’s game against the Wild.

“I’m sure it’ll be entertaining,… Kane said. “I don’t really know what to expect. I expect to win a hockey game. That’s first and foremost for me. I guess everybody will see what happens when it happens.…

The Atlanta Thrashers drafted kane fourth overall in the 2009 NHL Draft. He played two seasons in the ATL before playing three seasons in The Peg.

In an interview withThe Hockey News, Kane complained about his time in Winnipeg and the Jets. He said he never wanted to be in the city, asking for a trade every off-season. He also talked about feeling he was putting everything out there but wasn't being supported by his teammates.

Bygones.

At the half way juncture of the NHL season, Kane is stuck in eight goals and five assists in his 30 games played this season. Kane missed 10 games due to a knee sprain that was supposed to sideline him for 6 weeks.

“I’m getting chances to score each and every game,… said Kane.

“They just haven’t gone in now. I’m going to work hard to continue to try to get better at my game and continue to try to produce those offensive opportunities.

“Hopefully, I can start putting some more pucks in the back of the net. That’s my job, and that’s what I enjoy doing. That’s my role in terms of helping this team win, so I’ve got to be better and I’ve got to start producing at a much higher level like I know I can.…

***

reggie Thanks, Dan Hickling

Congratulations, Reggie Regehr!

The Calgary Flames have announced that it will hold a presser on Monday where long time ass kicker Robyn Regehr will retire from the NHL as a member of their organization.

The 35-year-old was a first-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 1998 and was traded to Calgary as part of the Theo Fleury trade in February, 1999. Regehr went on the play 11 seasons on Calgary's blue line, eventually leaving the Flames having played the second-most games in franchise history. He anchored the Flames D corps during their 2004 Stanley Cup.

Regehr played 1,090 career games and earned 972 penalty minutes. That is my kinda defenseman!

Regehr was traded to Buffalo where he served as the team's moral compass for two seasons. Before I covered him in Buffalo, I had heard so many stories about Regehr's leadership and generosity. I got to witness it firsthand when he was a Sabre. I loved talking with Regehr because he was so brutally honest and real. He would always shake my hand and look me in the eye before giving thoughtful answers to my questions. I'll never forget the dozens of times I spoke with Regehr during the most recent NHL lockout. Regehr skates daily at a local rink in suburban Buffalo. He would kid me that I should run home and grab my hockey bag because the and Jordan Leopold needed guys to play shinny with. His "famous" Sabres teammates Vanek, Myers, Ennis, Ehrhoff, Hecht, Sulzer, Sekera and Weber were playing hockey during the work stoppage in Europe and he was the leader of the skates in Buffalo. I will also be indebted to Regehr for taking time to speak with me before games and after games. I now know why so many of his peers and former coaches rave about him. He is a man of high character and incredible integrity.

After his stint in Buffalo, Regehr won a Stanley Cup in 2014 with his mentor and friend Darryl Sutter in Los Angeles.

Regehr finished his career with 199 points in 1,089 games.

He also had 18 points in 67 playoff games and won a Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2014.

Regehr originally announced his intention to retire following the end of last season.

Thank you, Reggie!

***

The Colorado Avalanche waived left handed D Brandon Gormley on Thursday.

Gormley, the 13th overall pick in 2010, was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes last summer in exchange for Stefan Elliott.

Patrick Roy wanted Gormely to play a top four role in Denver alongside Tyson Barrie.

The Gormley experiment ended after just 26 games. Gormley lost the trust of Roy and only averaged 12:11 TOI per game. Gormley chipped in only one assists. In juniors, he was pegged to be 30-35 point per season contributor. So far, the talent hasn't translated to the NHL. The kid still has plenty of time. He's only 23.

I think that the kid is worth a waiver claim.

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