The San Jose Sharks placed forward Evander Kane on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract "for breach of his NHL Standard Player Contract and for violation of AHL COVID-19 protocols," the team announced Saturday.

The Sharks have no further comment on the matter.

The 30-year-old cleared waivers in late November before reporting to the organization's AHL affiliate. Kane put up eight points in five games for the San Jose Barracuda.

Kane has been at the center of several controversies dating back to the summer, which culminated in a hefty 21-game suspension in mid-October after he violated the NHL's COVID-19 protocol.

The league cleared Kane in a September investigation focused on allegations from his estranged wife, Anna, that he gambled on NHL games.

It opened two subsequent probes looking into domestic abuse accusations made by Anna and Kane's alleged use of a fake vaccination card.

Reports also surfaced in August that Kane's teammates were frustrated by his behavior and didn't want him to return to the Sharks. He said in November the locker room's dissatisfaction was news to him.

Kane hadn't played with the Barracuda since late December after entering the AHL's COVID-19 protocol.

He was the Sharks' leading scorer last season with 49 points in 56 games. He was under contract with San Jose through the 2024-25 season on a deal that carried an annual cap hit of $7 million.

Kane will forfeit $22,885,000 due to the termination, according to CapFriendly. His cap hit for the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign and the following three seasons will come off the Sharks' books.

He's still eligible to sign with another club once he clears waivers, per CapFriendly.

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