The shroud of mystery surrounding the Winnipeg Jets' surprising decision to scratch forward Evander Kane for a game against his hometown team, the Vancouver Canucks - something the team afterwards termed a "coach's decision" - has been lifted.
A new report has emerged, from Chris Johnston of TSN, that Kane actually missed the game voluntarily after a run-in with teammates, specifically Dustin Byfuglien.
"However, multiple sources familiar with the situation have since indicated that Kane was not on the team's bus to Rogers Arena and then missed a pre-game meeting," Johnston writes. "Repeated attempts to reach him were unsuccessful until approximately an hour before puck drop, when Kane answered his cellphone and said he wouldn't be playing against the Canucks that night."
Kane, viewed by many as something of a prima donna, violated team policy by wearing a track suit when the team gathered the morning of the Canucks game. After a brief workout, Byfuglien, according to Johnston, took Kane's clothes and threw them in the shower in order to "send a message to his teammate, sources said."
Kane then disappeared until the team's return flight to Winnipeg.
The Jets, facing a five-game losing streak and clinging desperately to a Wild Card playoff spot, have been mum to this point on the entire issue.
Kane has been rumored to be on the trade block and may be even more available now, as Johnston tweeted earlier in the day that the feeling around the league is that the price to acquire him has dropped.
He was not at practice on Thursday as he was meeting with team doctors, according to the Jets.
The 23-year-old forward is reportedly dealing with an undisclosed injury that has hampered his play this season.
