Not only did his Edmonton Oilers lose the Stanley Cup Final for a second consecutive year to the Florida Panthers, but left winger Evander Kane's night also didn't end the way he would have liked.
With under three minutes left to play in the game and the Oilers trailing 5-1, Kane hit Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk, with whom he had gone back and forth all series long, with his stick and was assessed a 10-minute misconduct.
So the likely frustrated Kane ended his night in the penalty box.
But that didn't excuse what happened next. After Florida's victory was official, the players from both teams formed up for the customary handshake line—with Kane noticeably absent, as pointed out by the TNT broadcast.
Kane was ripped by fans, who deemed it a classless move.
Evander Kane choosing not to be in the handshake line is perfectly on brand for him. Dirty, classless player.
— John Kriesel (@johnkriesel) June 18, 2025
Evander Kane isn't in the handshake line. Classless.
— Chris Gawlik (@TDChrisG) June 18, 2025
Evander Kane is a sore loser, a horrible role model, and the absolute perfect example of someone you don’t want to have a platform. Horrible showing of character and sportsmanship tonight.
— Ryan DiGiamberardino (@ryandigiam) June 18, 2025
Leave it to Evander Kane to be classless to the end.
— Jari the Hutt (@kurri_jari) June 18, 2025
Perhaps either Kane or the Oilers will have an explanation for his absence, but either way, it's not a good look.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Evander Kane Blasted for Classless Move After Losing Stanley Cup Final.
