If you’ve followed hockey for more than five minutes, you know the name Evander Kane. Usually, it’s for a rocket of a shot or a massive hit on the ice. But for a long time, the headlines were dominated by a different kind of intensity: his marriage and explosive split from Anna Kane. Honestly, it wasn't just a divorce. It was a multi-year saga that nearly cost a star his career and left fans wondering who was actually telling the truth.
Most people remember the social media posts. The ones where Anna accused the NHL star of betting on his own games. That kind of stuff is basically the "death penalty" in professional sports. If true, it would have ended his time in the league instantly. But as the dust settled and the courts got involved, the story became way more complicated than a few Instagram Stories.
The Breakdown of Anna Kane and Evander Kane
The couple married in 2018. At first, it looked like the typical high-profile athlete life. They had a daughter, Kensington, and things seemed okay on the surface. But by 2021, the wheels didn't just come off; they flew into another dimension.
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Anna took to Instagram to drop a series of bombs. She claimed Evander was addicted to gambling and, more shockingly, that he was "throwing" games for money. You've gotta understand how big that was. The NHL doesn't mess around with betting. They launched a full-scale investigation immediately.
What the NHL Investigation Actually Found
The league hired a fancy law firm, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, to dig through everything. They looked at betting trends, interviewed teammates, and searched through financial records. Basically, they went through his life with a fine-toothed comb.
- The Gambling Verdict: They found zero evidence that Evander bet on hockey or tried to lose games.
- The Catch: Anna actually refused to participate in the official investigation. Because she wouldn't talk to the investigators she had essentially summoned, the league eventually closed that specific book.
- The Fallout: While cleared of gambling on games, the damage to Evander’s reputation was massive. The San Jose Sharks eventually terminated his contract, though technically that was for a COVID-119 protocol violation later on.
The Messy Battle for Custody
While the gambling stuff was the "news" part, the family court battle was where things got really dark. Evander and Anna both filed for restraining orders against each other.
In a weird twist that sounds like a movie script, Evander claimed in court that Anna had faked a pregnancy for months after they had already separated. He alleged she used a prosthetic belly to convince him she was still carrying their second child. Anna later admitted she hadn't been "forthcoming" about the fact that she was no longer pregnant but denied using a fake belly.
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It's the kind of stuff that makes you realize how toxic things had become. Eventually, a judge awarded Evander sole legal and physical custody of their daughter.
Where is Evander Kane’s Ex-Wife Now?
If you haven't checked the news lately, Anna Kane is back in the spotlight for something completely unrelated to the NHL. In late 2024 and through 2025, her name became a major fixture in one of the biggest legal stories in the world.
She was revealed as the previously anonymous "Jane Doe" who filed a lawsuit against music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs.
Anna alleges that back in 2003, when she was just 17 and an aspiring model, she was sex-trafficked and assaulted by Combs and his associates. She originally filed the suit under a pseudonym, but a judge eventually ruled she had to use her real name to move forward. In 2026, as these cases against Combs continue to grind through the system, Anna has become a vocal advocate for victims, moving far beyond just being "the hockey player's ex."
The Financial Ghost: Bankruptcy and Beyond
You can't talk about this relationship without mentioning the money—or the lack of it. Around the same time the marriage was imploding, Evander filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. He was roughly $26 million in debt.
Imagine making nearly $50 million in your career and having nothing left. It wasn't just the divorce lawyers; it was a history of high-stakes gambling and bad investments. While Anna claimed his financial negligence ruined them, Evander's legal team argued his debts were a separate issue.
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A Summary of the Facts
To keep things straight, here is what we actually know:
- Gambling: The NHL cleared Evander of betting on hockey games.
- Abuse Claims: Both parties made claims of domestic violence; no criminal charges were ever brought against either in relation to those specific claims.
- Custody: Evander currently has sole custody of their daughter, Kensington.
- Diddy Lawsuit: Anna is currently a lead plaintiff in a high-profile civil suit against Sean Combs.
Why This Story Matters in 2026
We often see these stories as "celebrity gossip," but the Anna Kane saga is a case study in how public perception can be manipulated before the facts are in. Evander was essentially exiled from the league for a year based on allegations that were never proven in a court of law. On the flip side, Anna's current legal battle against Diddy shows a woman trying to reclaim a narrative after years of being dismissed as "unreliable" by the hockey world.
Moving Forward
If you're following this story, the best thing to do is look at court records rather than social media posts. Social media is great for "tea," but it's terrible for the truth.
- Verify with Legal Documents: If a new claim pops up, check if a filing actually exists. Most of the wilder claims in this divorce were eventually debunked or withdrawn.
- Separate the Athlete from the Person: It's possible for someone to be a great hockey player and a mess in their personal life.
- Watch the Combs Case: This is where Anna's story is currently unfolding. Her testimony there will likely be the defining chapter of her public life moving forward.
The drama between Evander and Anna was a perfect storm of professional sports, massive wealth, and personal tragedy. While Evander has since moved on—getting engaged and continuing his career with the Edmonton Oilers—the legal echoes of their time together are still being felt today.