from Ken Campbell of The Hockey News,

So now the league is stuck in a situation in which it cannot win. If it continues to allow Kane to play and practice with the Blackhawks, it risks alienating those who think it is not reacting appropriately to a very serious allegation of sexual assault. And if it suspends Kane, it will be accused of having a knee-jerk reaction and taking action before all the facts are known.

So in the absence of any sanity at all in this situation, the league is allowing Kane to stay. And that’s as it should be.

Because when it comes down to it, the NHL had absolutely nothing to do with what transpired, one way or another, in Patrick Kane’s home the night of Aug. 2. It can’t do anything about the fact that Kane hired as his lawyer a man who would allow himself to be photographed and filmed with a mug commemorating Hustler’s 40th anniversary and something called “Money Soap” in the background. It has no control over the innuendo, allegations and now, skullduggery that have dominated the narrative of this event.

People can talk all they want about whose DNA was where, but what this case really comes down to is consent. Kane’s DNA could be present, but that doesn’t necessarily indicate rape.

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