Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane underwent his first of multiple surgeries on Friday.
Taking to Instagram, the 33-year-old shared a photo of himself giving a thumbs up from a hospital bed with the following caption: “Successful surgery, long road ahead but very grateful for my amazing surgeons and nurses.”
@evanderkane/Instagram
As the Oilers opened training camp at Rogers Place on Thursday, both GM Stan Bowman and Evander Kane addressed the player’s injuries. While it was already known that Kane had been dealing with a hernia last season, he also revealed several other previously undisclosed issues that will require surgery.
“I’m having a lot done, both abductors on each hip, two torn lower abominable muscles done and two hernias,” Kane noted. “I felt something was wrong in late October [last season]… and just kind of slowly got worse over time.”
Many wondered why he didn’t resolve the ailments earlier in the offseason. Kane explained that while he was aware of the injuries after last season, it took time to create a treatment plan, consult with doctors, and schedule the necessary procedures.
“Everybody agreed we wanted to see how things looked after we took some time off to see if anything settled down [and] if anything could be rehabbed… that ended up not being the case,” Kane said. “This is a big undertaking and an injury and for me, something I want to get fixed once and get fixed correctly.”
Bowman provided a very vague response regarding when Edmonton can expect the Vancouver native back in the lineup.
“He is going to be out for a while… he’s not going to be here for a while.”
Drafted fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009, Kane joined the Oilers back in 2022 after the San Jose Sharks terminated his contract.
Last season, the veteran winger netted 44 points (24 goals, 20 assists) in 77 regular-season games and eight points (four goals, four assists) in 20 playoff games.
The Oilers will kick off their 2024-25 campaign on October 9, when they play the Winnipeg Jets at home.