Patrick Kane Dismissed as NHL 16 Cover Spokesman Following Rape Investigation

EA Sports and the NHL 16 video game distanced themselves from Patrick Kane while he is being investigated for rape, announcing Wednesday that he would not be involved with the game in any capacity, including appearing on the game's cover.

EA Sports NHL released a full statement via its Twitter account:

Jonathan Toews will now be gracing the cover, revealed EA Sports later in the afternoon: 

Kane, 26, has been accused of raping a women in his home after meeting her in a club in Buffalo, New York, in early August, per Dan Herbeck and Lou Michel of BuffaloNews.com. The woman who made the allegations reportedly had "bite marks on her shoulders and a scratch on her leg after the alleged attack." 

She alleged that Kane invited her and a friend back to his house, followed her into a room in his home and "overpowered her and raped her," per Herbeck and Michel. The report then claims she immediately left and called a relative while also going to the hospital before police were called.

Kane is one of the league's biggest superstars and was a driving force in the team's run to another Stanley Cup title this season. He scored 27 goals and added 37 assists in the regular season while notching 23 points in the team's postseason run.