B.C. native Evander Kane is moving home.
The 33-year-old winger announced Wednesday that his time with the Edmonton Oilers has come to a close, and he is heading back to his hometown to join the Vancouver Canucks.
“I’m incredibly excited for the next chapter of my career as I join the Canucks,” Kane said in a statement posted to social media on Wednesday morning.
“It’s an honor to become part of an organization and team I grew up watching as a kid.”
“Vancouver is a city that lives and breathes hockey, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to play in front of my hometown as I did many years ago as a Vancouver Giant.”
The Edmonton Oilers said they traded Kane to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Vancouver’s fourth round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft (117th overall).
“Evander is a physical power forward who will add some much-needed size and toughness to our group,” Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said in a statement.
“We like the way he wins puck battles along the boards and handles himself in the dirty areas in front of the net. Evander moves well around the ice and has proven to be a productive goal scorer in the National Hockey League.
“We are excited to bring him back home to Vancouver and our staff looks forward to working with him this coming season.”
There is one year left on the four-year, US$20.5-million deal Kane signed with Edmonton as a free agent in January 2022.
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Kane spent the last four seasons playing for the Oilers, but missed all of the 2024-25 regular season with injuries before joining Edmonton for the playoffs.
Kane spent much of the past hockey season recovering after having surgeries to repair both abductors, two hernias, two abdominal tears and a knee injury.
He had six goals and six assists on Edmonton’s second consecutive run to the Stanley Cup final. He took six minor penalties and led all players with 32 penalty minutes in the series loss to Florida.
The six-foot-two player joined the Oilers in 2022. He thanked the organization, teammates and “the incredible community of Edmonton” for making him feel welcome over the past few years.
“To the Oilers Ownership, front office, coaching staff, and trainers-thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be a part of such a respected and passionate franchise. Your support meant everything, and I’ll always be grateful for the chance to compete in the blue and orange.
“To my teammates-thank you for the battles, the friendships, and the memories. I’ll always remember the playoff runs, the highs and lows, and the pride of going to war with a special group of guys.
“To the fans-thank you for embracing me and showing unwavering support throughout my time in Edmonton. Rogers Place was always electric, and I’m proud to have played in front of such a passionate hockey city.
“My family and I have built some incredible relationships that will last forever.”
In 930 career regular-season games in the NHL, Kane has scored 326 goals and put up 617 points. In 97 career playoff games, he has scored 32 goals and put up 55 points.
Kane was selected fourth overall by the former Atlanta Thrashers in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He has played for the Thrashers (later the Winnipeg Jets) as well as the Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks and Oilers.
He went to Edmonton with as much of a reputation for his off-ice conduct as for his goal-scoring ability.
The Sharks moved to terminate Kane’s contract after the team alleged he violated COVID-19 protocols while a member of the club’s farm team in the American Hockey League.
Kane was playing in the AHL after serving a 21-game suspension for a violation involving a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. He also faced allegations of sexual and physical abuse by his former wife, who also accused him of betting on hockey games he was playing in.
An NHL investigation found no evidence to support those claims. Kane denied the allegations made by his ex-wife and apologized for using a fake vaccine card.
— with files from The Canadian Press
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