The handshake line is a hockey tradition that has endured for generations.
On Tuesday night, another player disgraced that legacy.
After the Panthers won a second straight Stanley Cup with a 5-1 win in Game 6, the TNT broadcast noted that Oilers winger Evander Kane was not seen in the handshake line, as relayed by The Hockey Writers.
It’s possible some emotions from the game boiled over following Kane’s ejection after he slashed Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk, which also earned him a 10-minute misconduct penalty with 2:13 remaining.
Many on social media criticized Kane’s decision as disrespectful to both the Panthers and the sport.
X user @ryandigiam posted: “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.”
User @johnkriesel also wrote on X: “Evander Kane choosing not to be in the handshake line is perfectly on brand for him. Dirty, classless player.”
Tuesday was not Kane’s first early shower of the series.
In the Panthers’ 6-1 win in Game 3, Kane slashed Carter Verhaeghe’s face with his stick while he was on the ice after a clean out.
Kane received a game misconduct penalty after a review and was subsequently ejected.
“They seem to get away with it more than we do,” Kane said after that game. “It’s tough to find the line; they’re doing just as much stuff as we are.”
Kane has not commented yet on why he was allegedly absent from the handshake line.