Evander Kane is a playoff difference-maker for the Oilers after a long, hard road back from injuries

Edmonton Oilers' Evander Kane (91) prepares for a face off against the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the NHL hockey Western Conference Stanley Cup playoff finals, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

Evander Kane could barely stand up in the immediate aftermath of complicated, invasive surgery. Rarely does a professional athlete go under the knife to have two adductor muscles, one in either hip, and two sports hernias repaired to try to get back playing.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

But after five days in a New York hospital in September, Kane was feeling better physically and mentally than in late June when he was unable to get on the ice with the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, which they lost by a goal after clawing back from a 3-0 series deficit.

“That was probably the most difficult thing I’ve experienced in my career,” Kane said. “I don’t know if you’ll ever get over that.”

The NHL season went by without Kane being healthy enough to play, something that finally happened in Game 2 of Edmonton’s first-round playoff series against Los Angeles. In Game 3 on Friday night — just his second back from surgery and recovery — he had an assist and the tying goal in a potentially series-changing Oilers victory that showed how valuable Kane can be when healthy, or at least close to it.

“He’s one in a million,” teammate Connor Brown said. “It’s unbelievable what he’s able to do when the lights are on.”

• Oilers score 4 goals in third period to beat Kings 7-4, trail series 2-1
• Oilers’ Kane shakes off rust of lost season in 7-4 win over Kings

‘I don’t know’

Less than week before his return, Kane reported feeling as good as he’s felt in a long time: “Definitely night and day from last year.” Asked what he’d be able to do when those lights are on or how long it would take to shake the rest off, the 33-year-old veteran winger seemed genuinely not sure.

“I don’t know,” Kane said in a lengthy conversation with The Associated Press on April 17. “It’s hard to say exactly.”

Kane drew confidence from how he played through all the pain last season, skating nearly 17 minutes a game with 44 points, then eight more in the playoffs before he and the team decided early in the final he couldn’t keep going.

“Being healthy and feeling good physically, I would like to think that I could even be a lot better than I was last year,” Kane said. “I knew it was going to be a long process. I knew I was going to have to put a lot of work into it, and I did.”

Trust the process

Recovery from surgery put Kane on the shelf for more than two months while he let his body heal. His fiancée was pregnant with the couple’s third child, and he became more useful around the house than at a hockey rink.

“It was nice to just be at home and be able to help out a little bit more around the house,” Kane said. “It was fun to be able drive them to school every day or pick them or do different activities with them.”

Kane took his young children to afternoon Oilers games, and as he ramped up his physical activity, they would join him for rehab days to get a behind-the-scenes look at him getting treatment and skating.

“You’re not bored,” Kane said. “It’s not like you’re a single guy who’s 22 years old just sitting around your apartment. There’s lots going on.”

He got back in the training room and did exercises and therapy to heal his body that was ravaged by the injuries. In January, he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery to clean up what he called a small issue that needed to be taken care of and may have slowed Kane’s road back by a month or two.

On March 7, the team said after consultation with the medical staff, the decision was made that Kane would not play before the end of the regular season. Kane stayed in touch with the Oilers and still felt on track.

“You have to kind of know yourself and trust your own instincts,” Kane said. “I think a big reason why we haven’t had any setbacks is because of the communication from me and the understanding from them.”

Back to fun

Kane thought he had done enough to get into Game 7 at Florida, but on June 24, he was again scratched and had to watch the Oilers lose 2-1 to the Panthers and fall short of winning hockey’s most coveted trophy.

“It was by far the most nerve-wracking game I’ve ever watched,” Kane said.

Anticipating what it would be like to jump on the moving train that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Kane figured he would get carried through by adrenaline and energy.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Kane said. “I’m sure it’s not going to be easy, but I think I’ll be ready for it.”

Kane skated just under 15 minutes and took a cross-checking penalty in his first game back, a 6-2 loss Wednesday night at LA that put the Kings up 2-0 in the series.

Friday night was an entirely different story. Kane set up Brown to tie it at 3 in the second period, then grinded it out in and around the crease to push the puck into the net for a crucial goal that evened the score again with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third.

An ill-advised coach’s challenge for goaltender interference from the Kings’ Jim Hiller put Edmonton on the power play, and Leon Draisaitl assisted on Evan Bouchard’s go-ahead goal on the way to winning 7-4.

“A huge game from him,” coach Kris Knoblauch said. “Evander, of course, we’ve talked about what a factor that he can be in the series or in a game being able to finish checks, and he had a couple big hits, and then obviously the two goals that he was a part of.”

Kane has been in the league since 2008 and knew from shoulder surgery and a skate cut to his left wrist how to handle long-term absences. That allowed him to be patient and take the time away, hoping it would pay off like this.

“I knew this wasn’t going to be a quick fix,” Kane said. “This was going to take some time, but if I did it right, then I wouldn’t have to do it again.”

With files from the Canadian Press in Edmonton, Alberta.

Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press