After it was believed that a grand jury would begin reviewing the investigation into Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane this week, the Buffalo News is reporting that the grand jury investigation has been postponed.
The Buffalo News is also reporting that it is believed the postponement comes amid the possibility of ongoing settlement talks between attorneys for Kane and the alleged victim.
Scott Levin of WGRZ reports that the case was postponed by the Erie County District Attorney and that there have been no settlement talks as of yet.
Kane, who has not been charged with a crime, has reportedly been under investigation for the last month following allegations that he raped a woman in his home on the morning of Aug. 2. Local authorities have been tight-lipped about the case from the very beginning, admitting only that they were investigating an alleged incident that occurred at Kane's home and that they were awaiting forensic testing results.
According to the News, individuals tied to the case were summoned to appear before the grand jury Tuesday.
Neither the Chicago Blackhawks nor the NHL has said much publicly about the ongoing investigation and neither entity is believed to have taken any disciplinary action against Kane at this time.
If a settlement becomes a possibility, it would likely allow Kane to avoid any criminal charges, but only further shrouds what may or may not have happened on Aug. 2. A lack of criminal charges also would make it difficult for the league or the team to take further disciplinary action, if they saw fit.
However, if a settlement is not reached, it would appear that the grand jury proceedings would be back on at a later date and Kane's status remains in question.
>>Steven Stamkos Says Top Pick, McDavid, Better Than He Is
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos is, at worst, one of the 10 best players in the NHL, probably closer to the top-five. He's two points away from 500 in his career at just 25 years old and has essentially averaged a goal every other game over his career. Yet he had some ridiculously high praise for the next phenom to enter the league: Edmonton Oilers' top pick Connor McDavid.
While meeting with the media at the NHL's media tour in Toronto Tuesday, Stamkos dropped this line on Craig Custance of ESPN.com:
"This guy is a special kid," Stamkos told ESPN.com. "I think he's better than me right now. I wouldn't have a second thought on saying that."
Stamkos, 25, also said McDavid is better than he was at 18 years old.
"He is good. The best I've seen for a player that age."
So whether at age 18 or age 25, Stamkos views McDavid as a better player before ever playing a shift in the league.
