Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane Will Never Recover From Current Rape Allegations

In what is supposed to be the slowest month of the NHL calendar, one of the biggest stories in the history of the league could be brewing. News came out on Thursday that Patrick Kane, one of the biggest stars in the game, has been accused of rape in his hometown of Hamburg, NY.

Of all the things one can be accused of, rape may be the worst. If the charges are never validated, many will say that he was able to pay the woman off. Folks will turn on the best American hockey player in the world at the drop of a dime. He will go from a hockey heartthrob to a pariah. On the other hand, if the charges come to fruition, others will call it a money grab by the woman involved. To be honest, neither side is fair until the facts of the case come out — if they ever do.

The Chicago Blackhawks star cannot recover from this fully no matter what happens. Fans simply don’t think of their heroes as someone who could commit such a crime as rape.

This story needs to be handled with sensitivity, but it won’t entirely. To some, Kane is already a pariah. There are many people in this country who still hate Ben Roethlisberger despite the fact that he was never charged with sexual assault and nothing was proven. To others, the woman is already a liar. This could have been the worst thing to ever happen to her, and if her identity were to come out, her life could be further ruined.

If Kane is guilty, he needs to get out of the league. I don’t care how good a player is — a rapist is not a person the NHL wants to associate with. If he is innocent, then hopefully will he learn from the situation he put himself in. However, the problem is that he is already guilty to some in the court of public perception, and that will be on his permanent record.

Nick Villano is the NHL feature writer for RantSports. He also adds to the site’s NBA, MLB and NFL content. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your Google circle.