What the San Jose Sharks mean to Evander Kane

Evander Kane hopes that he will spend the rest of his years as a San Jose Shark, something he furthered with a seven-year deal.

Home is not a word professional athletes are particularly familiar with. When they sign into this life, there is no guarantee or stability of living. They may love their team and hate a city, or vice versa.

Evander Kane is not a new name. He’s been around the league for almost a decade, chasing the holy grail that is a Stanley Cup. It’s every 10-year-old hockey player’s dream… to be on the winning team. To hoist 35 pounds of nickel alloy above their heads and claim themselves ‘the best’.

But this has not yet become a reality for Kane. In an article he wrote for The Players’ Tribune, Kane explained his past seasons in Winnipeg and Buffalo stating, “On the ice, I gave everything I had for the Jets. All I ever wanted was to be part of a winner…I was only [in Buffalo] for three years, but I really did enjoy my time as a Sabre… Leaving a place that wasn’t having success was difficult because I wanted to be part of the fix.”

But now, it seems he’s come closest to ‘home’ in San Jose.

In the aforementioned article, Kane explains the intoxicated feeling of being wanted. San Jose has welcomed him with open arms, and he’s reciprocated. He’s a player with lots of mileage and skill left, and San Jose does appear to be the right place to extend it.

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But while Kane is there to win, he also recognizes how rare of an organization the Sharks are. And how supportive a city San Jose is. “It’s a great feeling when you know you’re wanted,” Kane said, “It makes you play that much harder for the organization and for the fans. It’s why I love the game.”

The Sharks have a great shot going into this season, and if Kane is giving everything he’s got, the entire Pacific Division better be watching their backs.