Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane apologized Wednesday just hours after a picture he posted on his Twitter account caused a stir.
Earlier in the day, Kane posted a picture of himself in Las Vegas with stacks of wrapped dollar bills. In his right hand, Kane used the stack as a fake phone.
"Hey @FloydMayweather pick up your phone cause I'm callin #imdifferent," Kane posted.
The image of an NHL player posing as such was unsettling to Twitter users, as the NHL lockout sits in its 95th day.
"I didn't mean to offend anybody or ruin anybody's day," Kane told Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun. "It was more of a joke."
Kane, who is a big boxing fan, explained that he was trying to reach out to Mayweather. "It was taken by a bunch of people in the wrong context," he told the Sun.
Kane also said he understands how the image would offend some people, especially those indirectly affected by the lockout. "I totally get that point, I understand it," he said. "But it had nothing to do with the lockout or my views on it.
"Everybody is affected by this lockout. It's not like we're on strike. We would love to be able to play hockey right now."
Kane signed a six-year $31.5 million contract with the Jets in September before the lockout began.
