Kurtis Gabriel on Evander Kane: "He's Just a Typical Bully" - Full Interview

Kurtis Gabriel was never intimidated by Evander Kane. In his full, unfiltered interview with San Jose Hockey Now, the former Shark explains why he calls Kane "just a typical bully," tells the team-meeting story behind it, and reveals what life was really like inside the 2020-21 Sharks locker room with Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. Plus: fighting Kyle Clifford and Ryan Reaves, why Jacob Trouba scares him more than any enforcer, wearing Pride Tape in an NHL game, mental health, meditation, and his new course, The Next Arena.

This is the interview that started the Kurtis Gabriel vs. Evander Kane feud. Gabriel first told the story on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast (EP 138, Aug. 30, 2026). Kane fired back on X, and it escalated from there with the Patrick Marleau texts. Hear exactly what Gabriel said at 20:43.

IN HIS WORDS
🗣️ "He kinda is just a typical bully." (21:52)
🗣️ "I'm not intimidated by him." (21:44)
🗣️ "Every meeting, Evander Kane shows up late." (21:09)
🗣️ "When someone's hurting, which Evander is in many ways, that's when people act out." (21:53)
🗣️ "You can't handle pure narcissism. And pure narcissism comes from pure insecurity." (23:25)
🗣️ "Jacob Trouba is on the ice for 23 minutes and he's going to try to kill you every minute." (7:54)

From the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, hosted by Zubair Jeewanjee, Sheng Peng, Keegan McNally, and Dan Boyle — the most trusted voice in San Jose Sharks hockey.
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Watch next
▶️ Should Sharks Trade for Hellebuyck? Ryan Lin & Kurtis Gabriel (EP 138): youtu.be/FvPlRsGQ8IQ
▶️ Pohlkamp Unfiltered! Full Interview: youtu.be/IYTlRsz5KQs
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Welcome, Kurtis Gabriel
00:01:24 An Exciting Time to Be a Sharks Fan
00:03:00 Mike Grier, Goodrow, Stopchuk & the Enforcer Role
00:04:22 Fighting Kyle Clifford
00:04:47 Battling Ryan Reaves
00:06:09 Who Are the Next Ryan Reaves?
00:07:46 Why Jacob Trouba Is Scarier Than an Enforcer
00:08:28 Wearing Pride Tape on Pride Night
00:11:34 Carey Price & Stars Speaking Up
00:14:27 The 2020-21 Sharks Locker Room
00:20:43 Evander Kane: "Just a Typical Bully"
00:23:06 Why the Sharks Room Moved On From Kane
00:23:52 Mental Health & Acting Out When You're Hurting
00:26:13 Meditation & Doing the Inner Work
00:31:16 The Next Arena
00:33:04 Jeff Vail & the Fight Game
00:36:06 Where to Watch Kurtis' Show

Thumbnail photo of Evander Kane: Michael Miller, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped, black and white).