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The curious case of Evander Kane vs. Winnipeg restauranteurs

Winnipeg Jets v Toronto Maple Leafs

TORONTO, CANADA- JANUARY 5: Evander Kane #9 of the Winnipeg Jets skates in the warm-up prior to a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 5, 2012 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

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Over the weekend, Winnipeg Free Press columnist Gary Lawless spotlighted a bizarre situation involving Jets forward Evander Kane.

Turns out this sign, which recently popped up at a Jets game...

evander kane sign

...has kicked up quite the hornets nest.

While Kane dismissed the sign on Twitter -- “hahaha what a complete Lie this is,” he wrote -- Lawless noted it’s the latest in a series of incidents involving the 20-year-old:

-- Kane has a business manager (a different person from his agent, Craig Oster) who went around to Winnipeg restaurants asking for cash in exchange for Kane’s endorsement tweets.

-- The piece alleges Kane is “immature” and often comes across as arrogant. "[He’s] a lightning rod for this sort of thing,” Lawless writes. “He’s a big-time talent in a small town. Being a handsome young millionaire endowed with enormous God-given talents will do that.”

Lawless did reach out to two of Winnipeg’s more popular eateries -- 529 Wellington and Earl’s -- and neither confirmed the accusations of skipping on bills. (One establishment called Kane “a perfect gentleman.”)

But in unearthing these claims, Lawless discovered one of the more intriguing parts of the story:

He wasn’t the only one doing some digging.

Turns out that NHL security had also conducted an investigation to the matter (which Lawless learned about by contacting various restaurants.) While an internal investigation isn’t evidence of guilt, it does toss fuel on the “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” theory.

Kane’s only been in Winnipeg for over half a season, but it’s been a tumultuous campaign. There have been rumors of trade demands, public spats with his head coach and now, he’s on the shelf with a concussion -- yet he’s also the Jets’ leading goalscorer and is second in points despite being the second-youngest player on the team. He’s a polarizing figure either way.