Kane blames racism for Jets ouster

These are things he believes would have been celebrated if he lived in a different market or played a different sport at the time.

“It something that’s been done before by many athletes,” Kane told the Mercury News about the money phone incident. “Because I was in Winnipeg, in a Canadian city, it obviously bothered some people. Wes Welker (New England Patriots receiver) is at the Kentucky Derby throwing around money and he’s considered a great guy. Fun and charismatic.

“If you don’t acknowledge (the racial element) to some degree, you’re living in the shadows. It’s an older mentality and something that (hockey) hasn’t caught up to.”

Kane, 26, said his attitude and personality were never questioned when he played for the Thrashers, suggesting in Atlanta it was easier for a black player to fit in.

“I was in Atlanta for my first two years and those were very smooth years,” Kane told the Mercury News. “Then we got sold to Winnipeg and things changed. I didn’t change, so it’s interesting how things happen.”

Kane doesn’t seem willing to take much responsibility for the things that have “happened” to him during the course of his career. He fell out of favour in the Jets organization because he sometimes put himself above the team. He was late for meetings and infamously showed up for a game-day skate in a track suit, prompting Byfuglien to throw it in the shower.

That was the last straw for Kane and the Jets organization. He was traded days later.

But things didn’t improve in Buffalo, where he was investigated, but never charged for sexual assault, was arrested and charged for physically harassing three women at a bar (the judge dismissed the case in a legal arrangement that required Kane to stay out of trouble for at least six months) and was later called “selfish” by teammate Justin Falk.

If Kane did face racism in Winnipeg, it’s embarrassing for the city. No player should have to endure that, no matter how they behave.

The Kane article referenced the 2015 cover story in Maclean’s magazine that tagged Winnipeg as Canada’s most racist city. That was most certainly a wakeup call for a community that desperately needs to improve relations with its Indigenous population.

But to paint Winnipeg as a city where a black player is not welcome is off base.

“The city has shown nothing but love to myself, my family, my friends,” Leggett said. “This is among the friendliest cities in the world.” Sharks forward Evander Kane expressed his views on Winnipeg in a recent interview.