Prosecutors won’t charge Blackhawks’ Kane in rape case

Patrick Kane, star of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks, will not face rape charges related to an incident in New York state involving a woman he met at a nightclub because her account was not backed up by "credible evidence," a county prosecutor said on Thursday.

The woman had accused Kane of raping her in his offseason home in Hamburg, a Buffalo suburb, early on Aug. 2.

"The totality of the credible evidence — the proof — does not sufficiently substantiate the complainant's allegation that she was raped by Patrick Kane and this so-called 'case' is rife with reasonable doubt," Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita said in a statement.

DNA evidence gathered in the case did not confirm the woman's allegation that she had been raped by the 26-year-old Kane, Sedita said, adding that there were "significant" inconsistencies in the accuser's account and those of other witnesses.

"The DNA results lend no corroboration whatsoever to the complainant’s claim of penetration, a required element of proof for a rape charge," Sedita said.

Sedita said the accuser had already decided not to proceed with a criminal prosecution but, he added, charges could still have been filed.

Kane, a right wing, is one of the National Hockey League's top stars and has played on three Stanley Cup championship teams with the Blackhawks.

Born in Buffalo, Kane was the first player selected in the 2007 NHL Draft