EA Sports has begun distancing themselves from Chicago Blackhawks player Patrick Kane amid accusations of rape in his hometown of Hamburg, NY. The player, who was to be featured on the cover of the upcoming NHL 16, will be removed from all art assets and will not be used as a spokesperson for the game.
“In light of the ongoing investigation involving Patrick Kane, he will no longer be a spokesperson for the launch of EA SPORTS NHL 16,” reads the announcement. “He will not appear on the EA SPORTS NHL 16 cover, nor participate in other EA SPORTS NHL 16 promotional activities.”
Whether or not he will remain in the game at all was not revealed. That will likely wait until the currently active police investigation concludes. That case is being worked at this time, with little in the way of details available at the moment.
What we do know is that Kane is alleged to have raped a woman that he met at a local bar about a week ago. “The woman alleges that Kane invited her and a female friend to his home for a private party after they met him last Saturday night at SkyBar, a popular nightclub on Franklin Street, the sources said,” reads an article from Buffalo News.
“Shortly after she and her friend arrived at Kane’s home on Old Lakeshore Road, the accuser alleges that she went by herself into another room, where Kane followed her, overpowered her and raped her, the sources said.”
A replacement cover for NHL 16 will likely be revealed soon as the game is set to launch on September 15th for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
