The NHL offseason is, for most players, a time to catch your breath and unwind after the grind of another season and the always demanding Stanley Cup playoffs.
Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane, however, seems to have some different plans to stay sharp over the summer break.
The Oilers ‘shift disturber’ made a surprise cameo at a local men’s league under the pseudonym Fa Afo, better understood as the acronym F.A.A.F.O. in reference to his comments after Game 2 of the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights.
“You don’t see a lot of guys getting jumped from behind and headlocked,” Kane said of Knights’ forward Keegan Kolesar’s antics after a 5-1 Oilers win in early May. “When you want to f*** around, sometimes you’ve gotta find out.”
The two teams would combine for 122 PIMs that game, including 24 from Kane who led both teams, as the series intensity would ramp up, climaxing with a vicious two-hand slash from Alex Pietrangelo on Leon Draisaitl that earned him a one game suspension in Game 4 of the series.
Ultimately, the Golden Knights would get the last laugh on matters, knocking the Oilers out after a hard fought six games, en route to the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup a few weeks later.
Kane experienced yet another up and down season with the Oilers this year, playing in just 41 games due to a frightening wrist injury that left the 31-year-old hospitalized.
Despite a surprising return to the ice just over two months after the initial injury, the gritty forward’s play was clearly affected, including his shot, as he failed to reach the 20-goal plateau for the first time since 2014-15. Kane ultimately finished with 16 goals and 28 points, and added three goals and five points in 12 playoff games.
