Evander Kane reveals funny poker-related details about Edmonton Oilers teammates
The Edmonton Oilers are gearing up for the Stanley Cup Final, but they are making sure to keep things as light as possible.
This Oilers squad is looking for revenge, with the Florida Panthers standing in their way for a second consecutive season. It’s a series that will involve plenty of travel, as the two arenas are located approximately 4,882 kilometres apart.
The flight time between Edmonton and Sunrise, Florida, is typically around five hours if you can fly directly. That is a long time in the air for each team, and Evander Kane was asked about how he is able to pass the time with such extended travel.
The physical power-forward revealed that the team is full of avid card players, and that’s usually what he’s up to on those long trips.
“We got a great group, we play cards on the plane,” Kane said. “That’s how I pass the time, it’s a lot of fun.
“If you’re ever in the room, you hear guys talking about it and how excited they are to get on the bird. It’s good camaraderie on there.”
"It's nice to be feeling good at this time of the year. Really excited to get going on Wednesday… It's fun to be a part of it & not have any question marks."
Evander Kane on being healthy this time around in the Stanley Cup Final.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/mKOcdzc7ja
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 2, 2025
It should come as no surprise that the Oilers play cards to pass the time during long road trips. Kane was asked to elaborate a bit further. Poker appears to be a popular game with this group, and the veteran was asked a follow-up on which Oilers players had the worst and best poker faces.
Kane didn’t disappoint with the answer.
“That’s a good question, and I wanna give you a good answer,” Kane said as he thought about it. “Best poker face, maybe Mattias Janmark, because he looks the same at all times.
“Worst poker face, I don’t know, maybe [Hyman] and he’s not gonna be happy that I said that, but I got a bit of a read on him sometimes.”
Janmark, while not a premier player on this Oilers team, makes sense for a guy with the best poker face. He is a very intense and focused player on the ice and only seems to crack a smile during goal celebrations.
On the other hand, Hyman’s smiley nature probably doesn’t help him all that much when he’s playing poker.
The hope is that the team will be in high spirits on those long flights as they will have to embark on one after the first two games of the series conclude in Edmonton.