Aug. 07--An investigation involving Blackhawks star Patrick Kane stems from an incident that allegedly occurred at his lakefront mansion over the weekend, police in his western New York hometown confirmed Friday.
Hamburg Police Chief Gregory Wickett confirmed the investigation for the first time in a brief public statement, but he did not offer any more details or take any questions from the media. He told one reporter that he was "wasting" his time by staying in the Buffalo area over the weekend, suggesting that the case will not be resolved any time soon.
"At this time, we are gathering information and awaiting forensic testing results," Wickett said.
Neither Kane nor his agent could be reached for comment. His attorney told the Tribune that no arrest has been made in the case.
The Blackhawks and the National Hockey League have previously acknowledged the investigation involving Kane. The Buffalo News, which first reported the story, said the investigation began after a complaint was filed by a local woman.
Kane spent Saturday night at SkyBar, a popular Buffalo club about 15 miles from his lakefront mansion, and stayed past midnight with friends, a manager at the bar said. The evening was documented on social media as well.
Neighbors told the Tribune that three unmarked police cars descended upon Kane's Hamburg home Sunday, and several plainclothes officers entered his house using flashlights. At least one officer wore gloves and could be seen taking pictures in the front, said one witness, who asked not to be named.
Kane, who grew up in nearby South Buffalo, won his third Stanley Cup Championship with Blackhawks this summer. In keeping with the tradition of giving each player a day to spend with the Cup, Kane had been slated to have the trophy Saturday and had planned to host a private party at SkyBar, according to a club manager.
Blackhawks spokesman Brandon Faber said he doesn't know whether the Cup will be in Buffalo Saturday or whether Kane will take his turn with it.
The Cup, however, is already in western New York, as Blackhawks senior advisor Scotty Bowman hosted the trophy in his East Amherst home Friday. Bowman, who was throwing a private party at his house, declined comment on the Kane investigation through Faber, who spoke to the Tribune outside the home.
At 26, Kane is an NHL fan favorite and the cornerstone of a Blackhawks' dynasty that quickly renewed Chicago's love affair with hockey. The winger signed an eight-year, $84 million contract extension in July 2014 and laid claim to the league's best-selling jersey later that year. In June, he helped lift the city's third Stanley Cup trophy in six years with a playoff performance that included 11 goals and a dozen assists.
Kane moved to Hamburg in 2012, when he purchased the 6,000-square-foot mansion on the shores of Lake Erie. Before purchasing the $2.68 million house -- described at the time as the third-highest price ever paid for a home in Erie County -- he lived in a downtown Buffalo condo.
The move to the suburbs came after years of questionable behavior from Kane, who was drafted by the Blackhawks at 18 and arrived in Chicago at an age when most of his friends were packing for college. From that moment, his decisions became part of the public domain.
Kane pleaded guilty to the noncriminal violation of disorderly conduct in August 2009 after he was arrested in connection with a dispute with a Buffalo cabdriver. Though criminal charges against him were dropped, a judge ordered him to send an apology to the driver, who accused Kane and his cousin of assault and stealing a fare. Kane also had to pay $125 in court costs and was ordered to stay out of trouble for a year under a conditional discharge.
Kane again found himself in the spotlight in May 2012 when pictures surfaced of him celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Madison, Wis. A Madison Police Department representative told the Tribune then that Kane was involved in an altercation outside a bar but left when an officer told him to move on. He was not arrested.
In those years, images of a hard-partying Kane could be found on any number of social media accounts, and the team was clearly growing frustrated. After being publicly chastised by management after the Wisconsin incident, Kane apologized for his behavior and vowed to do better.
"It was the off-season and you're trying to have a good time, but you have to realize the spotlight you're in no matter where you are," he said at the 2012 Blackhawks Convention. "For me, the situation I'm in now is you always have to act like someone is watching you."
