Patrick Kane Arrested and Charged with Robbery
Will the Blackhawks Forward Face Jail Time or a Slap on the Wrist?
On Sunday, ESPN.com reported that Kane and his cousin James M. Kane, allegedly punched a Buffalo cab driver and took back the $15 in cab fare they had given him after he said he didn’t have 20 cents in change.
Kane Arrested Early Sunday Morning
According to a Buffalo police spokesman, the cab driver suffered cuts to his face and his glasses were damaged after being hit in the face and head. Both Kanes were charged with felony robbery and misdemeanor counts of theft of services and criminal mischief.
On Monday, Andrew LoTempio, an attorney for the cab driver, said the incident was blown out of proportion.
“There was a dispute over the fee and it just kind of escalated from there,” LoTempio told WGN radio in Chicago. “It was not really a robbery. That is probably a large distortion of what happened.”
Whether this incident has been over-hyped or not, it still doesn’t change the fact that what Kane did was immature and uncalled for. He is supposed to be a leader of a franchise that is expected to be a Stanley Cup contender for many years to come. Is this how a leader is supposed to act?
Of course, Kane’s argument could be that the cab driver was trying to take advantage of his wealth. However, we aren’t talking about thousands of dollars, we are talking about 20 measly cents.
Your average American would not care about losing 20 cents to a cab driver, so why should Kane, who makes hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, be worried about 20 cents?
NHL's Reputation Will Suffer
Not only will this hurt Kane’s reputation, but the reputation of hockey in general. Hockey is already struggling to garner interest among Americans. The 2004-2005 lockout season turned many fans away from hockey. They claimed the players were too greedy and selfish.
This incident will reinforce that notion that hockey players are selfish and greedy. Not only were they willing to sit out for an entire season to get more money, but now they are punching out cab drivers because they are being shorted 20 cents.
LoTempio said the case would not end up as a felony.
“I think we should be able to work things out,” he said.
It appears as if Kane is going to get nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Whether the NHL or the Blackhawks organization will purse the matter further is questionable. Hopefully Kane at least apologizes for his actions and learns a lesson from this ordeal.
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