Patrick Kane will join the Chicago Blackhawks at their training camp, which opened Thursday at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Ind. The team and Kane made the announcement at a news conference that quickly addressed the sexual assault allegation against the forward, then quickly shut down any more discussion.
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“This has been an incredibly difficult for many people”, the 26-year-old said.
Kane started by apologizing for “the distraction this has caused my family, my teammates, this incredible organization and, of course, our fans”.
He added, “Once all the facts come to light, I am confident I will be absolved of having done nothing wrong”.
“Again, I appreciate the question“, Kane said, before dodging it.
Team president John McDonough also spoke on behalf of the franchise, per the Blackhawks’ Twitter account: “This organization prides itself in trying to make calculated and deliberate decisions based on information we have at present”.
Kane has not been charged in the case. No charges have officially been filed, and Jared S. Hopkins and Stacy St. Clair of the Chicago Tribune reported his lawyers are working on a possible settlement with the accuser. A grand jury hearing was recently postponed and reportedly rescheduled for later this month. “I’d love to answer the questions. I am confident that I will be absolved of doing nothing wrong”. “I do not know who else they have been in contact with”.
“This hasn’t been an easy situation to deal with”.
The press conference comes a day after the team confirmed Kane will be in attendance at training camp, marking the first public appearance since reports of the alleged assault.
“Unless and until his name is cleared in this ongoing rape investigation, Kane shouldn’t have the privilege of playing professional hockey”, Shaunna Thomas said in a statement. “It’s been a challenging summer”, McDonough said.
It’s nice that Kane appreciated all the questions. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews and alternate captains Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook also avoided questions regarding Kane, though Toews acknowledged the situation was unwelcomed.
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“We had conversations with Patrick’s legal representatives”, McDonough said.
