Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks addressed the media about the sexual assault allegations against him for the first time on Thursday.
Kane's initial statement is as follows:
"This has been an incredibly difficult time for many people. I cannot apologize enough for the distraction this has caused my family, my teammates, this incredible organization and of course, our fans."
Kane was accused of sexual assault on Aug. 2. An anonymous source that claims to be close with the woman who is the alleged victim says that Kane and the woman met at a bar in Buffalo before he invited her and a friend back to his house for a private party. The woman claims that Kane followed her into a room and raped her.
"While I have too much respect for the legal process to comment on an ongoing matter, I am confident once all the facts are brought to light I will be absolved of having done nothing wrong," Kane explained further to the media.
Kane was questioned further by reporters, but most of his answers were "I appreciate the question, but I can't answer that."
According to WRGZ.com, some of Kane's other teammates were interviewed. They stated their support, but refused to comment on anything else that didn't pertain to hockey.
Kane will be attending training camp with the Blackhawks.
As of Sunday, police revealed that there is no DNA evidence against Kane.
I am still extremely disappointed in Kane as are many NHL fans that look at him as a superstar.
Kane has a reputation for being a bit of a "frat boy" at times, dubbed by NHL fans all over. He has had several instances where he's been publicly intoxicated - twice at Jimmy Buffett concerts. (See below)
He also has a reputation for being a female favorite in the NHL.
Combine those factors and you get Patrick Kane's Ego and a recipe for disaster.
Kane probably thought that the woman was automatically attracted to him and he went forth in some kind of drunken stupor. It's the same story every time when this happens with professional athletes.
If he wants to show any respect his organization, he better start taking this a lot more seriously. He needs to stop with the problematic drinking and partying all the time. He is only dragging down his extremely talented team with negative media - which serves as a plague to success.
