Oilers' Evander Kane gets 100% real about the hardest part in 10-month long return from injury

Evander Kane spoke with former teammate Colby Armstrong on Sportsnet’s Made in Canada segment. In the video posted to YouTube on Monday, Kane talked about the hardest part of his 10-month recovery from injury.

Kane said the most difficult time came near the end. He wanted to return to the ice but knew he had to wait.

"Probably towards the end, wanting to get back in and wanting to get back playing and starting to really feel good," Kane said. "But I knew it was going to be a long process. I wanted to do this once. There's pros and cons to every situation, right?

"Obviously, you want to play. You don't want to just be sitting around. You're not used to not playing. I've been doing this a long time.

Evander Kane returned to play in Game 2 of the Western Conference First Round on April 23 against the LA Kings. It was his first game since June 10, when he last played in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. He had surgeries in September and January to fix several injuries. These included two torn hip muscles, two hernias, and a knee issue.

Kane also mentioned how the time away gave him more time with family. Especially during his fiancee Mara Teigen's pregnancy with Kane's second girl child, first with Teigen, named Penelope Monroe.

"At the same time, my fiancée was pregnant. We got three other young kids at home. So it was a nice opportunity to spend some time and be a bit of a normal dad to my kids."

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Evander Kane is helping the Oilers in the playoffs

Evander Kane now plays on the Oilers' third line with Adam Henrique and Connor Brown. In Game 3 of the series against the Dallas Stars, Kane had two assists and five hits. He helped set up goals by Zach Hyman and John Klingberg in a 6-1 win.

In 13 playoff games this year, Kane has four goals, five assists, and 58 hits. He played through pain last season but could not finish the playoffs. He said he expected a long recovery this time.

Following the long recovery, Kane said it felt good to return.

"I was prepared for missing a good chunk of time with the injury I had, and the surgery I had, that wasn’t unexpected," Kane said in April, via NHL.com "It’s nice to feel strong, it’s nice to feel healthy and I’m looking forward to get on the ice."

Evander Kane is in his fourth NHL season with the Oilers. He first signed with the team in January 2022. He later agreed to a four-year deal worth $20.5 million.