"typical Bully": Former Jets Winger Publicly Criticized By Former Teammate

On Sunday, the hockey world was sent into a swirl over comments made by a former teammate of free agent forward Evander Kane. 

The longtime NHL winger, who began his career as a member of the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets franchise after being selected fourth overall in 2009, has since bounced around the league.

Kane most recently playing for a last-place Vancouver Canucks team this past season after three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, the most notable stretch of his career, one that included two trips to the Stanley Cup Final. Kane remains unsigned heading into 2026-27, with some suggesting his off-ice reputation may be playing a role.

That reputation took another hit Sunday when former NHL enforcer Kurtis Gabriel, who briefly played alongside Kane in San Jose during the 2020-21 season, tore into him on an episode of the San Jose Hockey Now podcast with Sharks beat reporter Sheng Peng. 

Gabriel didn't hold back, describing Kane as habitually late to team meetings and would routinely dress unprofessionally. He went further, calling Kane a bully who leaned on his toughness to intimidate teammates, while also acknowledging he personally wasn't intimidated and would confront him directly.

Peng, on the same episode, pointed out that San Jose's leadership group effectively pushed for Kane's exit, a situation that culminated in the Sharks terminating his contract in 2022 after he was found to have violated COVID-19 protocols at both the NHL and AHL level by attempting to use a fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination card.

Kane responded on social media to Gabriel's remarks with a cryptic message that read, in part, "I can't wait for the day I decide to share my truths. The only difference? Mine will come with facts, receipts, and the actual truth."

He continued, "a lot of people have become far too comfortable speaking publicly while relying on my silence. Enjoy it while it lasts. There are plenty of bombs with plenty of names attached."

I can’t wait for the day I decide to share “my truths.” The only difference? Mine will come with facts, receipts, and the actual truth.

For now, I’ll simply say this: a lot of people have become far too comfortable speaking publicly while relying on my silence. Enjoy it while it…

— Evander Kane (@evanderkane) August 31, 2026

The BC native closed by suggesting that when the time is right, he'll address the claims directly, a comment that hints he may be waiting until retirement to offer more context on certain situations throughout his career that have often been viewed as problematic.

Kane will likely have plenty to address if that day comes, given he's never spent more than four seasons with the same team. Between 2013 and 2016, he faced a dismissed sexual assault lawsuit and an arrest for harassment and trespassing in Buffalo.

From 2019 to 2021, he was sued by a Las Vegas casino over roughly $500,000 in gambling debts before filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2021, listing $26.8 million in debt, and was also investigated by the NHL for alleged match-fixing, though he was cleared of betting on NHL games. Reports of friction with teammates have also followed him through stops in Winnipeg, Buffalo and San Jose.

Kane is now 35, but last season he still showed he can produce, finishing with 13 goals and 31 points on a struggling Canucks team. Whether any team is willing to take a chance on him now likely comes down to how front offices around the league weigh his remaining on-ice value against the mounting off-ice noise surrounding him.

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