This follows an NHL announcement on 31 July that it was opening an investigation into Kane, which is expected to conclude by the end of September.

Anna Kane publicly accused her husband of betting on games involving his own team, and of throwing games with bookies to win money.

In an Instagram post she stated: “How does the NHL let a compulsive gambling addict still play when he’s obviously throwing games to win money?”

She further accused him of spending lavishly on parties in Europe and alleged that she had sold her wedding ring to buy baby formula for their infant daughter.

In response, Evander Kane labelled her “mentally unwell” and revealed the two are in the process of getting a divorce.

Kane has already denied his wife’s claims, stating in a July Twitter post shortly after the allegations emerged: “I have NEVER gambled/bet on Hockey, NEVER gambled/bet on a Sharks game, NEVER gambled/bet on any of my games and NEVER thrown a hockey game.”

While speaking to ESPN’s Linda Cohn, Kane said: “Obviously [the accusations are] incredibly false. It’s unfortunate that transpired, and it’s unfortunate that those false allegations were made.

“I know [they’re] not true. I know none of what she was saying was true. I was very confident, comfortable with knowing that I was going to be exonerated and am going to be exonerated of those allegations.”

However, in the same interview, the 30-year-old San Jose Sharks forward from Vancouver did open up about his past gambling problems.

“It’s something that I would say that I definitely had a problem with at certain points throughout those years – at certain times more than others,” Kane told Cohn.

Gambling by players on any NHL game is strictly prohibited by the organisation’s collective bargaining agreement, and if Kane is found culpable he could face suspension from professional ice hockey.