Buffalo Sabres winger Evander Kane has been arrested and charged with one misdemeanor count of criminal trespass and four counts of non-criminal harassment in connection with an incident at a downtown bar last month.
Kane, 24, turned himself into Buffalo police this morning and was handcuffed before being released, according to multiple reports. He is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 1.
Kane’s attorney, Paul J. Cambria, told The Buffalo News, “Without a doubt, he plans to defend himself against these charges.”
Aug. 1 update: Kane has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in court again Sept. 9.
Update: Three women allege Kane grabbed them by the arms, hair or neck inside and outside of the bar, Buffalo police downtown district chief Joseph Gramaglia told reporters at a briefing this afternoon.
Kane has also been charged with disorderly conduct, Gramaglia said.
The disorderly conduct and trespassing charges stem from a complaint filed by a male bar employee who removed Kane.
No one was injured, Gramaglia said.
Update: The Sabres released the following statement this afternoon: “We are aware of the charges against Evander Kane stemming from an incident last month. Our organization will have no further comment at this time.”
According to a police report the Associated Press cited, Kane allegedly grabbed one woman by throat. Another woman accused Kane of trying to force her from the bar.
This is Kane’s second off-ice legal incident in eight months. In December, he was under investigation for an alleged sex offense at a downtown hotel. He was cleared of wrongdoing in March.
The Sabres also benched Kane for a game in February after he documented his partying at the NBA All-Star Game on social media and missed practice the next day.
Sabres general manager Tim Murray on July 1 said Kane must “behave himself a lot better than he has.”
“Certainly we don’t like this is twice now he’s been in incidents like this,” Murray said. “It’s not good for the organization, it’s not good for him. He’s going to have to pick and choose his spots when he goes out a lot better than he does, and he’s going to have to behave himself a lot better than he has, obviously.”
Update: In a statement, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league is monitoring the situation but won’t take any disciplinary action at this time. If necessary, Kane will be directed to NHL/NHLPA behavioral health professionals for evaluation and counseling.