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Nobody is quite sure when hockey's handshake line was born. The practice is believed to be over a century old, but whenever it started, the customary finish to a heated playoff series remains a beloved part of the game for countless players and fans.
Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane, it turns out, is not among those handshake line enthusiasts.
As noticed by TNT announcers and many irate fans, Kane skipped the post-game handshake line in Sunrise, Florida after his Oilers dropped a second straight Stanley Cup Finals series to the two-time-champion Panthers.
Kane may have an excuse. After all, the 33-year-old former All-Star's night came to an end when he was seen slashing Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk and whistled for a 10-minute misconduct with just 2:13 remaining in Tuesday's Game 6.
Still, fans expected him to return to the ice to congratulate Panthers players on back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.
'Evander Kane choosing not to be in the handshake line is perfectly on brand for him,' wrote on critic on X. 'Dirty, classless player.'
Evander Kane was given a game misconduct before missing the handshake line entirely
Matthew Tkachuk of the Panthers and Stuart Skinner of the Oilers shake hands after Game 6
'Evander Kane is an a**hole,' another added.
'I get being sour after losing in the biggest moment of your career,' one fan wrote. 'But throwing a tantrum on the ice and not coming back out to join the handshake line is a straight up loser move. But it's Evander Kane. We shouldn't be surprised.'
The word 'loser' was used frequently to describe Kane on Tuesday night.
'Evander Kane not going to the handshake line is such a loser move from the biggest loser in the NHL,' one fan added.
A 33-year-old Vancouver native, Kane has faced accusations of assault, harassment, gambling on NHL games, domestic violence, sexual assault, and a violation of the league's COVID-19 protocols. The NHL never found any evidence he bet on league games and could not substantiate domestic violence or sexual assault claims.
Despite his off-ice issues, Kane has been a reliable scorer in the NHL, netting 326 goals since breaking in with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009.
