Late in the second period of Saturday’s Edmonton Oilers game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Evander Kane was assessed a double-minor for roughness and 10-minute misconduct for hitting his body with the Vegas Golden Knights’ Keegan Koulsar. In a game that was heavily geared toward the Oilers after the first period, the Golden Knights refused to come off softly, physically moving the punt, and Kane and the other Oilers more than willing to answer the buzzer.
In a post-match media outlet, Kane was asked about the altercation and his frequent shots into the body of a prone opponent, and remarked, “If you want to get around, you’ll get caught sometimes.”
Since the match, the hockey world seems divided on what should happen to Kane. A lot of the NHL is calling for you to step in and provide some supplemental discipline. Writers in the media such as Matt Larkin of the Daily Faceoff wrote, “Evander Kane’s attack on Kolesar’s body…was something. It may go beyond just being ‘part of a fight’. I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear from the league about it. We’ll see.” However, he was soon bombarded by other fans (presumably a large percentage of Oilers fans) who thought it was more than fair after Kolesar grabbed Kane from behind and instigated action. Kolesar is no stranger to creating controversy himself, as he was a player with a history of hitting people when they were frustrated. Even Larkin’s colleagues at the Daily Faceoff jumped on him thinking this would be something the NHL would crack down on.
Kane does not let his team interfere
In Edmonton, Kane is seen as somewhat of a hero. He didn’t score in the game, but his contributions were vital as the Oilers tried to maintain their huge lead, not get scared, and leave the game relatively injury-free. Ken was among the first up, with Clem Kostin, Brett Kulak, Nick Begstad and others not afraid to get in and get dirty. Not only was Edmonton determined to win on the scoreboard, but in a battle of strength and Kane’s presence gives the Oilers plenty of bravado in this regard.
Were the body shots Kane fired over and over too few? maybe. Was it worth commenting? Mostly not. Like Ken said, if you’re going to start something, you’re in a place where you’ll need to be prepared to finish it. And the fact that Kolesar was “defenceless” was only because he had put himself in that position and assumed someone who was not about to back down.
Kane was assessed 14 penalty minutes on the play. It would be surprising if the NHL said this wasn’t enough and led to more discipline after the fact.