Imrem: Kane will, and should, report to Chicago Blackhawks camp

Well, at least one sticky matter is settled.

The Chicago Blackhawks announced Wednesday that Patrick Kane is expected to report to training camp and practice Friday morning in South Bend, Indiana.

You can hear the widespread indignation. You also can hear the widespread approval. This is polarizing stuff around town, you know.

Kane, the Hawks' superstar winger, is being investigated in a sexual assault case just outside of his hometown of Buffalo.

Kane has been accused but not charged, so my inclination has been that he should participate in training camp if he wants to.

That isn't a unanimous sentiment, essentially because this isn't last decade.

During the summer of 2003, Kobe Bryant was charged with sexual assault in Colorado and played an entire NBA season before the case was resolved.

A judge eventually dismissed the charges when Bryant's accuser was unwilling to testify. Later, the parties settled a lawsuit.

Bryant's case serves as a precedent … and it doesn't.

Last year's video of Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee/now-wife changed everything.

Sexual assault is a hot-button issue in sports now. What Kane is involved in is toxic for an athlete, for his team and for his entire league.

This is a positive development, of course. The games that players play no longer supersede cases involving attacks on women.

It's difficult to imagine in today's environment that Kane would be able to play an entire NHL season without a resolution of the allegations against him.

Or is it difficult to imagine? Doesn't it depend on who's doing the imagining?

From the hard-core hockey fan to the casual sports fan to myriad others, nearly everyone with access to social media and other platforms has expressed himself or herself on the subject.

"Kane hasn't been charged with a crime so bring him to camp" … "He is being investigated in a sexual assault case so ban him from camp" … "Leave it up to him whether he should be there" … "Leave it up to the Hawks" … "Leave it up to the NHL" … "Leave it up to a vote of hockey fans" …

Some people are more concerned over what's best for the Hawks' brand. Others are more concerned over the well-being of Kane's accuser. Others are concerned over his Blackhawks career.

Whenever these diverse concerns intersect, they tend to collide.

Anyway, it says here that Kane should be permitted to report to camp because he's presumed innocent unless found guilty.

The Hawks will have to manage the media, starting with select personnel being made available Thursday afternoon.

Kane should be off limits. The Hawks should request that journalists ask his teammates only hockey questions. The players should be told to issue a "no comment" if the Kane case is brought up.

Kane has some rights here, too, and he shouldn't be expected to be foolish enough to do or say anything that might be used against him.

Being investigated isn't being charged, and even being charged isn't being found guilty.

Again, though, this isn't Kobe Bryant in 2003; it's Patrick Kane in a more radioactive 2015.

How does a player play in today's climate with sexual assault allegations hovering over him?

Still, as awkward as it is, permitting Kane to participate in training camp seems like the way to go right now.

Many will disagree because, to this point, there are a lot of opinions out there and very few answers.

mimrem@dailyherald.com