Evander Kane pens heartfelt message for Oilers faithful as he confirms shock Canucks trade

Evander Kane's stint as an Edmonton Oiler has come to an end.

After another loss in the Stanley Cup Finals, the writing was on the wall for an Oilers team that needed to shed salary in order to shake up its roster.

Kane was one of several players who became obvious trade candidates once the season concluded, and we've now learned where he is headed.

Reports surfaced on Wednesday morning that Evander Kane was being traded to the Vancouver Canucks, and he confirmed those in a heartfelt post thanking the Oilers for everything while expressing his excitement in joining the Canucks. He shared the message on X (formerly Twitter).

"As my time with the @EdmontonOilers has now come to a close, I want to take a moment to sincerely thank the entire organization, my teammates, and the incredible community of Edmonton," Kane wrote.

"To the Oilers' ownership, front office, coaching staff and trainers—thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be a part of such a respected and passionate franchise. Your support meant everything, and I’ll always be grateful for the chance to compete in the blue and orange.

"With that said, I’m incredibly excited for the next chapter of my career as I join the @Canucks. It’s an honor to become part of an organization and team I grew up watching as a kid. Vancouver is a city that lives and breathes hockey. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to play in front of my hometown as I did many years ago as a Vancouver Giant."

Kane is entering the final season of the four-year, $20,500,000 contract extension he signed with the Oilers in 2022 and could become a UFA next summer.

Evander Kane wanted to play in his hometown

Several other teams around the NHL had an interest in acquiring Evander Kane via trade this offseason.

However, the Oilers did him a solid and sent the 33-year-old to his hometown Vancouver Canucks, which is where he wanted to go. TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun confirmed this on X.

"Evander Kane has been traded to Vancouver, his agent Dan Milstein confirms, but he says Canucks/Oilers still waiting on official trade call with the league. Three teams were interested, Milstein says. Kane goes back home to Van, which was the player's preference," LeBrun wrote.

The Vancouver, British Columbia, native will get the opportunity to play for the Canucks for the first time in his lengthy career.

He will look to add a combination of grit and skill to a Vancouver forward group that was in desperate need of a jolt up front.