The Evander Kane contract saga is finally over.
After terminating Evander Kane’s contract last season in light of an alleged breach of the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols in December of 2021, the San Jose Sharks have finally settled the grievance filed against them by Kane’s camp in response, agreeing to give Kane a one-time payment.
Kane, whose contract with the Sharks would have paid him a total of $19 million over its remaining three years had it not been terminated, recently signed a new contract with the Edmonton Oilers this summer that is now slated to pay him $16.5 million over the same period of time, leaving a difference of $2.5 million.
In addition to the payment, the Sharks have also been issued a salary cap penalty that will be applied retroactively to last season, of which the club finished with roughly $5 million in cap space.
“The San Jose Sharks have reached an agreement with Evander Kane regarding the termination of his NHL Standard Player Contract,” the Sharks said in a statement released Friday afternoon.
“The agreement has been approved by the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association. We are satisfied that its terms will not adversely impact the team, either financially or competitively, in this or future seasons.”
The ruling brings to an end a saga that had been hanging over both Kane and the Sharks organization for quite some time.
After multiple reports of friction between Kane and the rest of the Sharks’ roster, the club instructed Kane to refrain from attending training camp ahead of the 2021-22 season, eventually sending Kane to the AHL after the conclusion of a 21-game suspension he was issued by the NHL for issuing a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.
After Kane allegedly violated COVID-19 protocols once again in December, the Sharks swiftly terminated his contract shortly after and released Kane into free agency, where he signed with the Edmonton Oilers. Kane then filed a grievance against the Sharks for terminating his contract.
With this dispute now settled, both sides can head into next season with slightly clearer heads.
