If you know me, you know I am a huge hockey fan and endlessly loyal to my beloved Colorado Avalanche. I watch as many NHL games as I can during the year, watch every Avalanche game and play my hockey video game in an attempt to capture Lord Stanley's Cup and be a kickass NHL player (if only in my own mind). I love hockey. So I'm dismayed to learn that the NHL I am such a fan of appears to think it's not big deal that one of it's biggest stars may be a rapist. Patrick Kane is a 26-year-old forward for the Chicago Blackhawks. He was instrumental in the 'Hawks winning three Stanley Cups in the last five years (a huge accomplishment as the Cup is the hardest trophy in sports to win once, nevermind three times). Kane was a part of a rejuvenation for the 'Hawks and things have gone very well on the ice for the team since he entered the league. Off the ice, things have not been so rosy. Unlike the NFL and NBA, the NHL does not allow its rookies to have absurd contracts and money thrown in their faces as soon as they enter the league. Instead, the maximum contract NHL rookies can have is in the six figures, and they're also required to live with a veteran player and his family for at least their first season to show young players how to conduct themselves properly. This is even more important if you have a player like Kane who was widely considered to be a Hall of Famer someday. But all the precautions in the world can't stop someone from believing their own hype. It also can't change any negative habits or compulsions that already exist inside that player.
Last month, news broke that Patrick Kane had been accused of rape by a 21-year-old woman who visited his Buffalo mansion with a friend on August 2nd. According to a report released at the time, Kane had invited the alleged victim's friend to come back to his house after a night of partying at a bar and the women decided to go together, presumably as a safety precaution. In his home is where it is claimed he raped the woman, who would later go to a local hospital for a rape examination as well as report the incident to the Buffalo PD. It was there the case remained, with a million unanswered questions, until a few weeks ago when it was announced a grand jury would take on the case. However, those proceedings were abruptly postponed the day they were to begin, allegedly because there was talk of a financial settlement. At around the same time, NHL teams began training camp and many wondered if Kane should be allowed to participate. Some said there was no reason he shouldn't as he'd yet to be charged with a crime and had not broken the NHL's morals clause contained in all player contracts. Others said he should take himself out of camp in order to not be a distraction, which I agreed with but knew he was too arrogant to do so. Kane showed up, to quite the showing of support from fans in attendance at the first day of camp, and the Blackhawks had a "press conference" that included him, their head coach, their GM and President. And it was a disaster. They refused any and all questions involving the accusations and said they had the utmost respect for the legal process. Kane himself said very little. It was a press conference likely intended to take attention away from the elephant in the room, but instead it only amplified the whole situation. Last week it was announced the grand jury would convene again in a few weeks, and someone also leaked a report about DNA found on the alleged victim. The waters here have been muddy from the time the story broke, many people choosing to reserve their judgement until we see how it all plays out. But today's events have left a very sour taste in a lot of people's mouths, for various reasons. The accuser's lawyer held a press conference and, unlike the 'Hawks attempt at one, it turned out to be very fruitful. The attorney called for an immediate, independent investigation into the Buffalo PD in order to figure out how his clients' rape kit ended up ripped open and left on her mother's doorstep. Yes, you read that right - a victim's rape kit, which should have only gone from the hospital to the police department, was placed on her family's doorstep. SVU couldn't even make this ish up, ya'll. I've certainly never heard of such a thing.
Thus far, there's been no word from the Kane camp about what this latest twist implies. The NHL says Kane's status remains unchanged and he will be allowed to play, which I don't agree with but I do understand. Yes, this looks awful for him, but technically he still has not committed a suspendable offense in the eyes of the league. And I'm sure if they tried to suspend him, the player's union would be all over them, thus creating an even bigger distraction. Do I think it's fair he's allowed to play? No, but I expected as much. Still, the court of public opinion has already begun to swing in the opposite direction of Kane, as it should with these new allegations. And it's really Kane's own fault. This is a player who has been a problem child off the ice for the league ever since his pro career began. There have been reports that he's been called into the offices of Blackhawks brass on numerous occasions, purely for the purpose of them explaining to him that he represents an organization and needs to conduct himself accordingly. In 2009, Kane and his cousin were arrested after physically assaulting a cab driver who did not have proper change to give them after a cab ride. Kane gave the driver $15 and the tab was $14.80. When you fuck a guy up over 20 cents, you can't expect people to give you the benefit of the doubt when you're accused of another violent act years later. That incident also took place in his hometown of Buffalo and he eventually pled guilty to misdemeanor charges and got a conditional release, but never mentioned nor apologized to the cab driver until the court forced him to. The fact that 20 cents was worthy of a beatdown in his opinion, and that he refused to apologize for so long tells me Kane has a special kind of arrogance - the kind that may make him believe he can take what he wants regardless of whether it's been offered to him. Criminals escalate, and the more privileged the criminal is, the quicker the crimes can get out of hand. I would not be surprised if Kane is in fact proven guilty when the dust settles.
These latest events are horrific for the victim and are a prime example of why rape and sexual assault victims are so reluctant to come forward, especially when the perpetrator is a famous man. This woman was already shaded by a bartender and a policeman who both called her character into question publicly, though neither was actually at the house when the alleged attack occurred. The officer was moonlighting as Kane's limo driver and is a longtime family friend who is now under investigation himself for being with Kane when he was supposed to be working at the police department. The bar owner was supposedly going to be the host of Kane's Stanley Cup party this year and is also a longtime friend. It would appear the Kane family has a lot of friends in their native Buffalo. I don't know if it was a family member, an attorney or Kane himself who may have ordered this rape kit to be essentially destroyed, but it doesn't bode well for him. Hell, it could've been a cop who did it in the mistaken belief he was helping out the hometown golden boy and Kane's camp could have nothing to do with it at all. But as possession is 9/10ths of the law, perception is 9/10ths of one's image, and Kane's image wasn't good even before all this. It doesn't take a genius to put some of the pieces together and wonder if his camp tried to pay the girl off and when she refused, someone ordered this rape kit stunt as a means of telling her they know where her family lives and, oh by the way, you have no evidence. Maybe we'll never know for sure who did it, that wouldn't be a shock. But I put nothing past someone like Patrick Kane. It will be interesting to see how things evolve from here on out. The one thing that struck me about all of this is that Kane is the only boy in a family of girls - he has three sisters. I've never understood how men with close female relatives can take advantage of a woman. How would you feel if it was your sister or your mother or your daughter? I can't wrap my head around that. If he did do it, I hope he gets what he deserves. If he didn't, well he did himself no favors by being an arrogant, entitled prick all of these years.
