What Evander Kane said before his first Edmonton Oilers game in almost a year
Evander Kane is officially back in action as he will suit up for tonight’s Game 2 against the LA Kings.
It’s been nearly a year since the 33-year-old has suited up for an NHL game, but he will be thrown right into the thick of things with a top-six role. We already know who his linemates will be to start tonight’s game, as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman fill out the rest of the second line.
Kane met with the media this afternoon before making his long-awaited return to the lineup.
“It’s been a long time since I last played a game, nice to get in and get an opportunity to contribute,” Kane said. “There might be a little nervousness, nothing that’s going to impact my game in a negative way.
“It’s nice to feel strong, nice to feel healthy. Looking forward to getting on the ice.”
"I enjoy it, it's a fun atmosphere to play in. There might be a little nervousness, nothing that's going to impact my game in a negative way."
Evander Kane on making his return to the #Oilers lineup in Game 2 tonight.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/sMYKLOx0Pt
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 23, 2025
It’s been exactly 318 days since Kane suited up for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers last June. Since that game, the veteran sniper has gone through multiple surgeries and entered a very lengthy recovery period.
The timeline for his return shifted multiple times during the regular season, but Kane told reporters that he never doubted that he would play at some point this year.
“I was always very confident that I’d be back playing,” Kane said. “It was unsure when that was going to happen, but looking forward to tonight.
“I was prepared for missing a good chunk of time… that wasn’t unexpected.”
Another thing fueling Kane’s confidence as he returns to playoff action is that he feels a lot better than he did at the start of last season’s postseason run. Kane admitted that he was labouring during Edmonton’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.
He hopes this means he will look a lot better on the ice compared to last playoffs.
“It’s night and day from the last time you saw me in a playoff game to tonight, hopefully it looks like that at least,” Kane said with a smile.
There may not be a better team for Kane to make a return against than the Kings. This is an L.A. squad that tends to get under the skin of their opponents.
Kane will relish giving the Kings a little bit of their own medicine.
“Playing the Kings in this barn, I enjoy it, it’s a fun atmosphere to play in,” Kane said. “Coming in, we understand we have to start on time and be ready off the hop.
“Getting the lead is important, scoring first is always nice, and I think we’re going to look to do that tonight.”