Patrick Kane Under Investigation For Rape: Report *UPDATE 8/7*

If you have been on twitter or turned on ESPN you by now know that Patrick Kane is under investigation for rape. Information is not pouring out in this case, so for now we are left to speculate. What is known is that Patrick Kane is under investigation in Hamburg, NY (where he resides) for sexual assault. According to the Buffalo News the victim in question went to the hospital where she was treated and a rape kit was performed. This wouldn't be Patrick Kane's first brush with the law. In 2009 Kane plead guilty to disorderly conduct after assaulting a cab driver. The incident left the 62 year old cabbie with a broken nose and glasses. It appears to me that in pleading guilty he received a lesser charge rather than a more serious battery charge.

If charges are brought the NHL could suspend Kane. Under section 18-A.5 of the CBA, "The league may suspend the player pending the league's formal review and disposition of the matter where the failure to suspend the player during this period would create a substantial risk of material harm to the legitimate interests and/or reputation of the league." This was the case with Slava Voynov of the Kings. Voynov was arrested for domestic violence and was suspended indefinitely by the league. Even after a letter from his wife assume all responsibility for the incident, Voynov was given 90 days in jail and 3 years of probation. To put this into perspective, Voynov was convicted of "corporal injury to a spouse" which is a misdemeanor. If Kane is charged with sexual assault, it would be a much more serious felony charge.

As I said before information in this case is very slow to break. I will update this article as more information become available.

UPDATE: it was brought to my attention I completely misread A source in an embedded tweet. The tweet has been removed with the rest of the information still withstanding.

UPDATE 8/7: Information is very slow coming in this case, but the trickle of information has begun. According to ESPN, Hamburg Police Chief Gregory Wickett has confirmed his department is investigating Patrick Kane for sexual assault. Neighbors at Kane's lakefront home reported that they witnessed investigators on the property. The incident is reported to have stemmed from an area bar near Kane's home. According to police they are waiting forensic evidence to return in the case and have set no time table. For those unaware, forensic evidence can take months to return in some areas of the country, and the information on the progression of this case may quickly turn cold should that be the only determining factor of prosecution. High profile Buffalo attorney Paul J Cambria Jr. was contacted and confirmed that he would be representing Kane in this matter but declined to comment further.

We will continue to bring you further updates on this case as it becomes available. As always in this country those charged are to be presumed innocent until they have been proven guilty. In this case, Patrick Kane has yet to even be charged. Should these accusations be true, whether or not charges are ever brought, it would be a terrible blow to not only Patrick Kane and the growth of hockey in this nation, but to a woman's life. Please keep this in mind as you discuss below in the comments.