Let's get one thing straight. Nobody likes Evander Kane, especially in Las Vegas. The Vegas Golden Knights fanbase has a smoldering hatred for the former Edmonton Oilers winger, dating back to when he was with the San Jose Sharks. While he wasn't too pestilent, the Vancouver native did score a goal and two assists in the 2019 First-Round series.
The season prior? Just a measly goal. No harm, no foul, right? Well, let's go back to that 2019 series again, specifically with Game 3. Ryan Reaves dropped the gloves with Kane after numerous chirps between the two parties.
That Reaves, huh? What a good guy.
But that wasn't the most "iconic" moment that Kane had in Golden Knights history. Oh no, one moment went above and beyond in establishing himself as one of the biggest villains in the Golden Knights' annals.
In fact, you'd have to go to another reviled rival of the Golden Knights to see Kane's villainy on full display. Let's jump into the time machine and go further into the future, namely 2023. It's the Second-Round matchup between the Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers and the matchup is tightly contested. It even involves... a kiss?
Looking back on Evander Kane's kiss towards a Vegas Golden Knights fan
It's Game 2 of a Second-Round matchup between the Golden Knights and the Oilers. It's Connor McDavid vs. Jack Eichel and the hockey universe is tuned in to see this incredible rivalry. But that wasn't the most noteworthy part of that game.
It was Kane fighting with Keegan Kolesar and proceeding to blow a kiss to a Golden Knights fan after a 5-1 Oilers victory. Mind you, the Golden Knights fan gave a NSFW gesture to the former Oilers winger.
The good news? The Golden Knights won that series and went on to win the Stanley Cup. The bad news? Kane would go on to have the last laugh when Edmonton beat Vegas in the Second Round two years later. Kane would commit such villainous acts, such as running over Adin Hill on an Adam Henrique goal and rubbing the victory in the Golden Knights' faces on social media.
What's more is that Kane was actually productive in that Second Round series. The winger scored two goals and two assists, en route to a Stanley Cup Final rematch against the Florida Panthers. It was a "revenge" series of sorts for the controversial winger, getting him past his adversary after losing in 2023.
How has Kane done overall against the Golden Knights? Well, he's been relatively quiet during his career, scoring six goals and seven assists in 26 games. That won't necessarily jump out at the fans, especially in the rivalry's biggest moments.
But this is a case where the stats don't matter in the rivalry. It's him being the annoying pest during those years that have made him one of the biggest villains. In fact, you can say that he has one of the most punchable faces to the Las Vegas populace.
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