Evander Kane rips Kings fan who spat on 10-year-old cancer survivor
Edmonton Oilers star Evander Kane is claiming that a Los Angeles Kings fan spat on a 10-year-old cancer survivor who was wearing his jersey during the two teams’ playoff matchup in Los Angeles.
Kane, 31, shared on social media Wednesday that an unruly Kings fan spat on 10-year-old Cecily Eklund’s No. 91 Oilers jersey while in attendance at Game 3 of the playoff series at Crypto.com Arena on Friday – a game the Kings ended up winning 3-2 in overtime.
“My dear friend @simply_cecily_rose got to go on an amazing trip to LA last week that created some incredibly fun memories,” Kane wrote on his Instagram story.
“But some of her experience in LA specifically at Game 3… was not. I’m disgusted and appalled at what happened to this amazing little girl in the stands and in a woman’s restroom where she was harassed for wearing her jersey and was spit on by a LA fan for doing so.
“This type of behavior is gross and completely unacceptable. For any young girl especially someone battling cancer to be treated in such a manner is pathetic.”
Eklund’s mother, Cathy, confirmed the allegations to the Global News.
“There was a fight just two rows in front of Cecily, she was spit on, sworn at,” Cathy said.
“It wasn’t the best experience, but it’s also very important to remember that a couple fans don’t represent the whole fan base.”
The Kings told TMZ they are aware of the allegations and are looking into it.
Kane and Eklund have had a relationship for a while now, having met through the Ben Stelter Fund, which connects children battling illness with once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
The organization sent Eklund, a Canada native, to the game in Los Angeles.
Many donors flooded Eklund’s donation page after the news broke, on which she calls Evander Kane her “bestest friend.”
Kane also shared a nasty screengrab of a DM he received from a Kings fan after posting that Eklund was spat on.
“Maybe you should be kind and not be such a f–kin scum bag,” the fan wrote to Kane. “We Kings fans literally hate you. You make us spit on kids for being a dirty mother f–ker. Listen to your own words and be kind. You f–kin scum bag.”
The fan appeared to delete his Instagram after Kane shared the screengrab, and the Global News spoke to a Mercedes-Benz dealership in California, which said a man with the same name no longer works for the company.
The Oilers lead the series 3-2 after Tuesday’s 6-3 victory.
The series shifts back to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Saturday night.
