from Kevin Kurz of The Athletic,

Several key players informed team brass that if Kane was going to be a part of the Sharks going forward, they didn’t want to be. That’s how bad it got, and how complicated this situation has become.

“Guys were going into Doug’s office all year long,” according to one source, “saying Kane had to go. … All Doug would say is, ‘All teams have locker-room issues,’ which just isn’t true. Not the teams that win, anyway.”

“The Sharks ignored everything,” said an NHL agent who represents at least one player on the team. “Team turned a blind eye.”

The NHL is investigating Kane, who has been accused by his wife of gambling on NHL games. But the Sharks’ displeasure with Kane stemmed from a general disrespect for team rules, including routinely being late for games and practices, not adhering to the dress code and having poor practice habits. At one point late in the season, according to a source, Kane nearly came to blows with assistant coach Rocky Thompson in a meeting after arguing where he was supposed to be positioned on the power play. Several sources indicated there was a general frustration among the team that Kane was permitted to get away with whatever he wanted, with no repercussions.

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