Evander Kane was ejected from Game 6 in the third period. But now, he’s receiving heavy criticism from fans and analysts—not for the ejection itself, but for what happened after the Oilers’ brutal loss.
The Edmonton Oilers became the first team since the Boston Bruins in the 1970s to lose back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals on Tuesday. Although many games were close, the Oilers ultimately fell in six games to a dominant Florida Panthers team, who have now won consecutive championships.
Despite the devastating loss, the Oilers players showed class with a heartfelt postgame handshake line. It’s one of hockey’s finest traditions: players showing respect to their opponents after a hard-fought playoff series. But Evander Kane is facing harsh backlash for how he handled the moment.
Evander Kane slammed
Kane had a rough final series, recording just one point across six games. In Game 6, with the Panthers comfortably ahead, he was ejected for a game misconduct following a brutal slashing on Matthew Tkachuk. Still, many expected him to return to the ice for the traditional handshake line at the final buzzer. That didn’t happen. According to TNT, Kane never returned to the ice and skipped the handshake entirely, drawing strong criticism.
“Evander Kane isn’t in the handshake line. Classless,” one fan wrote on social media.
“He got ejected on purpose. No class at all,” said another.
“Completely on brand for Kane. Wouldn’t expect anything less,” a third added.
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