The NHL sports betting scandal of 2021 centered on San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane, whose estranged wife publicly accused him of betting on NHL games and deliberately throwing matches for financial gain. The allegations triggered an immediate league investigation and put the NHL’s gambling integrity framework under scrutiny at a time when legal sports betting was expanding rapidly across North America.
Kane was ultimately cleared of the betting allegations, but the case exposed significant gaps in how the NHL monitored player gambling activity and set the stage for stricter enforcement in the years that followed. Smart Bet Insider covers NHL betting analysis, odds breakdowns, and integrity news throughout the season.
Timeline of Key Events
July 16, 2021: Anna Kane files for divorce from Evander Kane, citing irreconcilable differences.
July 31, 2021: Anna Kane posts a series of statements on Instagram accusing Evander Kane of betting on Sharks games and intentionally influencing outcomes for profit. She calls on Commissioner Gary Bettman to investigate. The accusations gained immediate traction given Kane’s prior financial history, which included a bankruptcy filing listing $1.5 million in gambling debts and a 2019 incident in which he failed to pay a $500,000 casino marker.
August 1, 2021: The NHL announces a formal investigation into the betting allegations. Jared Maples, the league’s newly appointed executive vice president and chief security officer, is tasked with assembling the investigation team.
September 2021: Anna Kane files court documents accusing Evander Kane of domestic violence and sexual assault as part of her application for a restraining order. The NHL opens a concurrent investigation into these allegations.
September 22, 2021: The NHL completes its investigation and clears Kane. The review included betting data from Sportradar covering Sharks games from the 2018-19 season through the 2020-21 season. No evidence of betting on NHL games or deliberate underperformance was found. The league stated the findings were based on independent evidence, not Kane’s denials.
October 18, 2021: The NHL suspends Kane 21 games without pay for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. He forfeits approximately $1.68 million of his $7 million salary, directed to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. The domestic abuse allegations are addressed concurrently, with the NHL stating they could not be substantiated.
November 28, 2021: The Sharks waive Kane upon completion of his suspension and assign him to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.
January 8, 2022: The Sharks place Kane on unconditional waivers with intent to terminate his contract for violation of the AHL’s COVID-19 protocol.
What the Investigation Found
The NHL’s investigation used bet monitoring reports from Sportradar across multiple seasons. Investigators found no irregular betting patterns in games Kane played in and noted his strong on-ice performance contradicted the claim he had been deliberately underperforming.
Kane’s defense was that Anna Kane’s allegations were motivated by the acrimony of their divorce. Speaking publicly after his vaccination card suspension, he said of the betting probe: “They investigated me heavily and found what they found, which is nothing.”
Consequences and What Changed
The Kane case forced the NHL to confront structural weaknesses in its player gambling oversight. At the time the allegations surfaced, the league had no dedicated task force for betting integrity matters. The investigation team had to be assembled from scratch, drawing criticism given how quickly the accusations became public.
Canada legalized single-event sports betting in 2021, the same year the Kane allegations broke, expanding legal betting access for a roster that was majority Canadian. The NHL was simultaneously pursuing commercial sportsbook partnerships, creating a tension between revenue generation and integrity enforcement that the Kane case brought into focus.
The most direct consequence came two years later. In October 2023, Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto was suspended 41 games for activities relating to sports wagering, the first modern NHL player banned for a gambling violation.
Pinto later revealed he had used friends in the US to place bets on his behalf through proxy betting, since he was not a Canadian citizen and could not access Canadian sportsbooks directly. The NHL found no evidence he bet on NHL games, but the suspension sent a clear message that gambling violations would carry serious consequences regardless.
The NHL reinforced its integrity monitoring systems across sportsbooks and data providers following the Pinto suspension, building directly on the infrastructure gaps the Kane investigation had first revealed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the 2021 NHL betting scandal?
The 2021 NHL betting scandal centered on San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane, whose estranged wife Anna Kane publicly accused him in July 2021 of betting on NHL games and deliberately throwing matches. The NHL launched an immediate investigation using betting data from Sportradar and cleared Kane of all gambling allegations in September 2021, finding no evidence he had bet on hockey or influenced game outcomes.
Was Evander Kane suspended for gambling?
No. The NHL cleared Kane of the gambling allegations on September 22, 2021. His 21-game suspension, issued on October 18, 2021, was for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. Kane forfeited approximately $1.68 million of his $7 million salary as a result of that suspension.
What evidence did the NHL use to clear Evander Kane?
The NHL used bet monitoring reports and analyses from Sportradar covering Sharks games from the 2018-19 season through the 2020-21 season. Investigators found no irregular betting patterns in games Kane participated in, and his on-ice performance during the relevant period contradicted the claim he had been deliberately underperforming. The league stated its findings were based on independent evidence, not on Kane’s denials.
Who was Shane Pinto and how does his case connect to the 2021 scandal?
Shane Pinto was an Ottawa Senators center suspended 41 games in October 2023 for activities relating to sports wagering, making him the first modern NHL player banned for a gambling violation. He later revealed he had used friends in the US to place bets through proxy betting. The NHL found no evidence he bet on NHL games. His case was a direct result of the league tightening its gambling enforcement following the Kane investigation.
What did the Kane case reveal about the NHL’s gambling oversight?
At the time the allegations surfaced, the NHL had no standing task force for betting integrity investigations and had to assemble one from scratch. The case also exposed the tension between the league’s commercial betting partnerships and its integrity obligations, at a moment when legal sports betting was expanding across both the US and Canada following the 2018 PASPA repeal.