NHL Star Evander Kane Says Mara Teigen Has Always Been ‘The One’ — But Took ‘Time’ to Figure Out

NHL star Evander Kane pulled off a surprise proposal to fiancée Mara Teigen — and he’ll be the first to tell you it was a long time coming.

The Edmonton Oilers forward, 33, proposed to Teigen earlier this month , the latest chapter in a relationship that once saw the couple break up before eventually getting back together in 2021.

“We dated in the past, so it’s not like it’s only been three years,” Kane exclusively told Us Weekly . “We know each other pretty well and fortunately enough we were able to have a second go at it and make it work. She’s been The One the whole time. It just took a little bit of time to figure out.”

The proposal itself was a well-executed plan with multiple moving parts, which got underway as soon as the couple woke up.

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“I said we were invited out to breakfast by another couple,” Kane explained. “They didn’t show up because they had a flat tire, which was obviously a big lie. So, me and her had breakfast because I had to get her out of the house. I had to get the flower company to come in and set up, I had to get the photographers and the videographer to get in.”

However, Teigen’s suspicions were immediately piqued based on a seemingly innocuous detail.

“She was a little surprised because I don’t usually dress up unless I’m going to a game or an event,” Kane joked. “Me putting on a pair of pants and a decent shirt is a rarity, especially on a Wednesday morning.”

After arriving back home, Kane rushed inside and told Teigen to wait in the car before he took her to a scheduled hair appointment.

“I had my nanny go out and I said, ‘Just go get her in here however you can,’” Kane recalled. “I think she kind of freaked Mara out a little bit. She was like, ‘Is something wrong?’”

Once inside, of course, Teigen saw there was nothing wrong — quite the contrary.

She was greeted by Kane and their three kids — sons Iverson, 2, and Hendrix, 14 months, and daughter Kensington, 4, from Kane’s previous marriage — decked out in shirts that spelled out “Will You Marry Me?”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while,” Kane said of the proposal. “Because we have three kids, I thought it would be extra special to involve them and make them part of it. We had just built our house and moved in like a week before I proposed, so I thought it would be a nice way to also celebrate the new house with our family.”

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Kane said he told daughter Kensington the day before and tasked her with keeping the secret. “She did a good job of that,” Kane gushed.

As for the wedding, Kane said patience will have to be a virtue — which is nothing new for the couple.

“We’re not planning anything anytime soon,” Kane said with a laugh. “If anything, I think the earliest would be next summer. Possibly the summer after. Part of getting engaged, we’re pretty much a married couple anyway. Not a whole lot has changed from a day-to-day standpoint.”

Kane added, “I just wanted to acknowledge her for the mom and partner that she is, and reward her for everything she’s put into me and our relationship.”