What is Evander Kane’s ethnicity? Exploring ethnic roots of Edmonton Oilers star

Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane was born to Sheri and Perry Kane in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1991. His mother is white and his father is black. He also has two sisters named Brea and Kyla.

Kane comes from a family of athletes. His father boxed and played amateur hockey while his mother played collegiate volleyball. Leonard Kane, Evander's uncle, was inducted into the Canadian Ball Hockey Hall of Fame.

Evander Kane’s cousin, Dwayne Provo, played eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1995-2002. He also enjoyed a short stint in the NFL with the New England Patriots. Kirk Johnson, another of Kane's cousins, represented Canada in boxing at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

Evander attended high school at John Oliver Secondary School in East Vancouver. During his formative years, he also played baseball, basketball, and soccer.

He learned to skate at the age of three and picked up minor ice hockey at eight-years old. Under his father’s guidance, Kane played for a North Vancouver team in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament in 2003 and 2004.

Kane became a dominant hockey player as a teenager. He recorded 140 points in just 66 games for the Bantam North Shore Winter Club at the age of 14. Kane also participated in minor hockey with the Vancouver Thunderbirds.

Evander Kane’s professional hockey career

Evander Kane was selected fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers (now Winnipeg Jets) in the 2009 NHL Draft. He signed an entry-level contract with the Thrashers on July 20, 2009, less than a month after the draft.

Kane impressed in his first NHL training camp and earned a spot on the Atlanta Thrashers' roster during the 2009-10 season. He made his NHL debut against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 3, 2009. During the game, Kane recorded his first career point, an assist on a goal scored by Rich Peverley.

Kane scored his first goal in his second NHL game, wristing a shot past St. Louis Blues goalie Chris Mason.

Evander Kane also played for the Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks before joining the Edmonton Oilers last season.

The 31-year-old has amassed 302 goals and 271 assists in 853 regular-season games.