Patrick Kane Arrested

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

If this were a 3rd line player on Edmonton, Carolina, or the Islanders it wouldn't generate this much animosity here.

Well he's not he's a first liner.

Go ahead, hate on Kane, call him the worst sort of offender, and continue to spout off about seeing him prosecuted, punished and ostracized but at least come clean about your reasons - he's a rising star on a hated rival. Don't fly it under the flag of under any other premise.

No one is hating on Kane...get a grip. Should he not receive some sort of "punishment" though? First, he was drinking (he's 20), 2nd, he asaulted somone (last I knew you couldn't assault an individual). Besides a lot of Hawks fans look up to him, especially kids. Lastly it's just plain old fun to rag on the Hawks AGAIN,

By the way, another guy who was driving people around with a suspended license...Richard Gnida. Remember him?

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

If this were a 3rd line player on Edmonton, Carolina, or the Islanders it wouldn't generate this much animosity here.

Go ahead, hate on Kane, call him the worst sort of offender, and continue to spout off about seeing him prosecuted, punished and ostracized but at least come clean about your reasons - he's a rising star on a hated rival. Don't fly it under the flag of under any other premise.

By the way, another guy who was driving people around with a suspended license...Richard Gnida. Remember him?

Konstantinov and Fetisov didn't threaten the driver.

[Lovin Jiri Fischer 147]

Driving with a suspended license: against the law

Assaulting another person: against the law

Drinking at age 20: against the law

They should all go to jail. That's it. End of story.

[hooon 1,089]

i just cant believe they STILL have not released a statement of any kind. This happened like 4 days ago now.

[sputman 1,268]

The NHL isn't going to market a Canadian guy playing in Anaheim of all places.

Kane is young and American, playing in an original 6 city.

EA Sports is located out of Vancouver, BC.

[sputman 1,268]

MO? All cab drivers are allowed to do this, do you know how man drunken idiots they deal with that would probably just run away?

You serious? Who can't get their wallet while sitting in a car? Paraplegics? Amputees?

is it just me or does locking a drunken idiot in the car WITH ME seem like a potentially dangerous idea.

[titanium2 867]

is it just me or does locking a drunken idiot in the car WITH ME seem like a potentially dangerous idea.

Not if you need those 8 bucks an hour or whatever cabbies make these days.

[truebladearmy 33]

I wish I was a multi-millionaire so I could complain about 20 cents, stiff a cabby of 15 bucks, and then spend half of my fortune hiring a defense attorney to get me out of jail.

What's funny to me is that he handed him $15. The tab was $13.80. In most places even the $15 would be considered rude because it's a poor tip. Let alone trying to get your money back!! Kane not only wanted his 20 cents back, and not only did he assault the poor cabby who likely has 7 starving children and an abusive wife (lol, what don't they all?), but he fully intended to STIFF HIM ON THE TIP!

Hell, I usually tip cabby's a good 10-20%. Someone should tell kain that technically, he still owed the guy a few bucks

I don't want Kane to miss any hockey any more than the next guy, but I'll be pretty irked if he gets a slap on the wrist in this case.

Either way, between court costs, lawyer fee's, and the restitution that I promise they will make Kane fork over to the cabby.....Kane just bought himself the most expensive cab ride in history

[truebladearmy 33]

Kane acted stupidly.

^^^

In response to what someone else said, Cab drivers always lock drunk people in the car until they've paid. I don't know if it's legal, but I imagine it is. You can't just walk out of Walmart with something you didn't pay for, and if you try they detain you by force if need be. That's really not much different than a cab driver locking you in untill payment is settled. He provided the service, you're legally obligated to pay up. If you don't like it, take the bus.

[BeeRYCE 2]

Not that I'm defending Kane, but maybe the cab driver did something wrong or stupid and for that sake, Kane did not intend to tip him. Maybe the cabbie intentionally pissed him off, maybe said something personal, who knows.

Regardless, nothing justifies the physical abuse... THAT'S a different story.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

From Buffalo News :

The cab driver at the center of the charges against hockey star Patrick Kane applied for a driver’s license under a different name and address shortly after his license was revoked in 1999 for drunken driving, a state Department of Motor Vehicles official said Wednesday.

In response to an inquiry from The Buffalo News, the agency has merged the two licenses and revoked the new license, adding it is investigating whether fraud occurred.

The move also leaves 62-year-old Jan Radecki of Buffalo facing the possibility of a felony charge, Chautauqua County District Attorney David W. Foley told The News on Wednesday.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

From TSN :

The clash with a cabbie that landed Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane behind bars in his hometown of Buffalo is going before a grand jury.

Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita III says his office will present the facts and call witnesses before a grand jury on Thursday. The panel can then decide to bring charges or drop the case.

[Dimaline312000 51]

Hmmmmmmmm, This happened 5 days after I traded Kane for two first round draft picks in franchise mode on NHL 09 for PS3.

I wonder if the two are related?????????????????? J/K LOL!!!!

[Lovin Jiri Fischer 147]

I don't know how easily the charges can be dropped. A friend of mine got in a fight and was facing assault charges or something similar to that. The guy he fought didn't want there to be any charges at all because he didn't think it counted as assault. But the police and the court told both of them that it's not a civil case. Instead it's "The people v. whoever" so you can't just drop the charges. But this happened in Michigan. I don't know how it works in New York.

[RedFX 48]

I'm suprised Micah hasn't come on here and suggested "Kane provides the toughness and fighting ability we desperately need. Trade Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and the rest of the Euro ******* to get him."

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

I find it absolutely hilarious how shallow minded you people are... how much local companies have molded you.

First and foremost... a TIP is a gesture for good service. Many countries view tipping itself as a rude gesture (as in China where it says your better than them). Regardless of what a person makes... they aren't obligated to tip anything.

Second... get the hell over the 20yr old thing... did everyone forget were in Buffalo here? It's not like it's a major hassle to jump across the border. I'm sure you were all saints at 20yrs old too... Last I checked it was legal to drink at 19 most everywhere else in the world.

Cabby didn't deserve to be driving, and certainly is trying to exploit the situation as much as possible.

[Rick 42]

I find it absolutely hilarious how shallow minded you people are... how much local companies have molded you.

Care to elaborate or are you just acting like you know something everyone else doesn't?....maaaaaaaaaaan

[Silent Hill 3]

What's your point?

If you're stupid/unfortunate enough to get your license suspended, don't compound your idiocy by getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.

And if you're idiotic enough to do that, don't forge paperwork work to get your license back.

And if you are stupid enough to do *that*, don't exponentially multiply your stupidity by working as a driver.

The driver isn't Mother Teresa here, just another law-breaking imbecile who is lucky that he didn't kill anyone and shouldn't have been driving, period. He didn't deserve to get beat up for this, for sure, but already I question his veracity.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

From TSN :

A grand jury is expected to decide next week whether Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane should face criminal charges after a dispute that left a cab driver in his hometown of Buffalo bruised and with broken glasses.

The Erie County District Attorney's Office presented the case to a grand jury on Thursday.

District Attorney Frank Sedita III says the panel is expected to report its findings sometime next week.

[Casey 145]

I find it absolutely hilarious how shallow minded you people are... how much local companies have molded you.

First and foremost... a TIP is a gesture for good service. Many countries view tipping itself as a rude gesture (as in China where it says your better than them). Regardless of what a person makes... they aren't obligated to tip anything.

Second... get the hell over the 20yr old thing... did everyone forget were in Buffalo here? It's not like it's a major hassle to jump across the border. I'm sure you were all saints at 20yrs old too... Last I checked it was legal to drink at 19 most everywhere else in the world.

Cabby didn't deserve to be driving, and certainly is trying to exploit the situation as much as possible.

Tipping is customary, like it or not. A $1.20 tip on a $13.80 cab ride is below normal by a mile.

As for his age, the fact is that there is no evidence of him drinking in Canada, just the US- where he is underage. Doesn't matter if the rest of the world has a drinking age of 2, in the US it's 21.

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

I find it absolutely hilarious how shallow minded you people are... how much local companies have molded you.

First and foremost... a TIP is a gesture for good service. Many countries view tipping itself as a rude gesture (as in China where it says your better than them). Regardless of what a person makes... they aren't obligated to tip anything.

Second... get the hell over the 20yr old thing... did everyone forget were in Buffalo here? It's not like it's a major hassle to jump across the border. I'm sure you were all saints at 20yrs old too... Last I checked it was legal to drink at 19 most everywhere else in the world.

Cabby didn't deserve to be driving, and certainly is trying to exploit the situation as much as possible.

I'd like to know why you're so uptight about this? He's 20 not 21. Obviously you didn't check because it's the U.S. not another country. The drinking age is 21 NOT 20.

[gcom007 1,465]

Not sure if this has been posted, but it's the first reasonable thing I've read in the media on this whole matter and an outstanding observation on media issues in general these days.

from http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/2749...all-angles.html

"It really is amazing in this day and age how quickly celebrities are vilified. Reports surfaced Sunday that young Blackhawks star Patrick Kane and his cousin had been arrested and charged with felony robbery and misdemeanor counts of theft and criminal mischief for allegedly beating and robbing a cab driver after an altercation over 20 cents.

Fans on THN.com were largely outraged, calling Kane immature, a hockey punk and a jerk, and accused the 20-year-old Hawk of being drunk (as if that would be an anomaly for a 20-year-old).

Media outlets widely quoted the cabbie, Jan Radecki, in effect validating his accusations and fueling the anti-Kane fire. A Buffalo TV news crew interviewed Radecki, telling only his side of the story, noting the Kane cousins both pled not guilty to the charges against them, but failing to do their due diligence on Radecki.

That was Sunday.

By Monday, the Chicago Sun-Times was asking if Kane was “a player an emerging organization wants to build its long-term future around,†deriding the Calder Trophy winner’s game and suggesting the Hawks would be better off cutting ties with the franchise cornerstone.

And Internet outlets were offering Kane’s mug shot up to the public and broadcasting his new nickname, ‘20 Cent.’ (Full disclosure: ‘20 Cent’ is pretty good.)

But then things started to turn in Kane’s favor. Radecki’s lawyer went on record saying the charges against Kane had been overblown and that “we should be able to work things out,†whatever that means. Many are now assuming the sound ka-ching is ringing in Mr. Radecki’s ears now that he knows who he’s dealing with.

And by Tuesday, things had come full circle. Kane’s lawyer let it be known he knows what happened after talking with witnesses and that “Patrick Kane never assaulted the cab driver.†Meanwhile, reports essentially besmirching the cabbie’s reputation were released, giving Kane’s version of the events – or rather his lawyer’s – more credence.

In just 36 hours, Kane went from being the latest poster boy for pampered, immature, self-centered pro athletes to a guy who may just have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Radecki went from innocent victim to possibly a guy looking for a payday.

Kane might be guilty of the charges laid against him. Or he may not. He might be a spoiled prima donna who thinks he can get away with whatever he wants because of who he is and what he does. Or he may not. Kane may also be the victim of someone looking to take advantage of him – or he may not.

What this case should teach everyone is that in this age of 24-hour news services, sketchy journalism and the never-ending race to break stories, things can be and are routinely overblown for the sake of ratings and Internet traffic. Everyone should also be aware that stories can reverse direction in a matter of hours, so don’t get too excited by any one report.

Kane deserves a break, as does Radecki. Kane deserves his day in court, and not the court of public opinion. Radecki deserves a modicum of privacy concerning his past – although he did open himself to criticism by doing that TV interview and his lawyer’s assertion that something can be ‘worked out’ doesn’t help.

But please, people, remember that Kane and Radecki are people, too. Just like you and me. And I’m sure we’d all hope everyone wouldn’t jump to conclusions at the first reports of something being amiss in our lives. I know I would.

John Grigg is a copy editor and writer with The Hockey News and a regular contributor to THN.com with his blog appearing regularly during the summer and the Wednesday Top 10."

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

Care to elaborate or are you just acting like you know something everyone else doesn't?....maaaaaaaaaaan

Isn't a direct accusation against a specific company... but it's obvious when you go major city to city, you see the difference local media and businesses have on the specific people. You hear things enough, you begin to believe them (or you hear them from someone you believe). I'm making reference to the fact that many people live in a rather narrow visioned world due to this.

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

I'd like to know why you're so uptight about this? He's 20 not 21. Obviously you didn't check because it's the U.S. not another country. The drinking age is 21 NOT 20.

umm.... re-read my post. I realize he's 20. Nor am I uptight about the matter, though your lack of reading skills (either ability or will) is pissing me off.

Obviously your not grasping the fact that Buffalo is on the freaking Canada border.

It's also obvious to me your a stickler for the 21+ law in the US. While I favor European opinion on the matter (look it up...). I really could care less if he had alcohol in his system. Do you really think a few months would have changed this scenario AT ALL?

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

Tipping is customary, like it or not. A $1.20 tip on a $13.80 cab ride is below normal by a mile.

As for his age, the fact is that there is no evidence of him drinking in Canada, just the US- where he is underage. Doesn't matter if the rest of the world has a drinking age of 2, in the US it's 21.

Do you really think a 20yr who has traveled as much as him is going to care in that case?

You sound like he should be on trial for drinking. When in reality he can't even get in trouble for that since it's illegal for him to acquire or possess, but not imbibe.