The National Hockey League is looking into a woman’s accusation that NHL player Ian Cole groomed & sexually abused her when she was a minor.
Ian Cole : Grooming | Sexual assault | Stats | Contract
Ian Douglas Cole is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL).
| Born | February 21, 1989 Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
Cole won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.
Cole joined the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2007 after playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2005 to 2007.
He played at Notre Dame from the 2007–08 season through the 2009–10 season, Cole finished his collegiate career with 69 points in 111 games at Notre Dame.
Ian Cole Grooming
The National Hockey League is looking into a woman’s accusation that NHL player Ian Cole groomed and sexually abused her when she was a minor.
Twitter user Emily_Smith3333 posted a message on Twitter on Friday, accusing Cole, a native of Ann Arbor and former member on the U.S. National Team Development Program, of assaulting her when she was in high school. The tweet is the only one by the account, which was created in September.
On Sunday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that Cole has been suspended pending the results of an NHL-led investigation.
Cole denies the allegations.
The accuser said that for four years, Cole groomed her, and that their first sexual encounter happened when she was a minor and Cole had been in the NHL a few years. She also said she did not want to have sex but that she was pressured into it.
Cole, 33, played for the USNTDP, then headquartered in Ann Arbor, from 2005-07 and at Notre Dame from 2007-10.
Ian Cole Sexual assault
The Tampa Bay Lightning suspended defenseman Ian Cole on Sunday night pending an investigation into allegations made on social media that he sexually abused a woman when she was a minor.
In a statement, Ian Cole Sexual assault, the Lightning said they are aware of the allegations against Cole and are cooperating fully with the NHL on an investigation.
“Our organization takes these allegations very seriously,” the team’s statement read. “While we continue to gather more details, we have decided to suspend Ian Cole pending the results of an investigation. No members of the organization, including players, will comment further at this time.”
Cole, in a statement released through his agent, Kevin Magnuson, said he completely denies the allegations and will cooperate with the league, the team and their legal departments in the forthcoming investigation.
“I take the allegations made against me today in an anonymous tweet very seriously,” Cole said. “I look forward to clearing my name and demonstrating to the NHL and the Tampa Bay Lightning that these allegations are unfounded.”
The allegations against Cole were made in a statement posted to Twitter on Friday by an anonymous user. The person wrote that Cole groomed her for four years “starting when I was a minor in high school” and noted that Cole was “well aware of my age” at the time of the alleged sexual abuse.
Stats
Cole’s first international experience came at the 2007 World Junior Championships (WJC) in Sweden.
Cole added four goals and an assist in all seven games at the 2007 WJC, helping Team USA to a bronze medal finish.
The 2007 WJC marked the most points Cole would score at the event, in 2008 he was held pointless and in his final appearance in the tournament in 2009 he finished with two goals and two assists.
Cole was drafted 18th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. At the conclusion of the 2009–10 season, Cole turned pro and signed with the St. Louis Blues and was assigned to the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League, the Blues’ top minor league affiliate.
He scored his first NHL goal on March 9, 2011 against Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender, Mathieu Garon.
As a free agent, despite showing interest to return to the Wild, Cole was unable to come to terms and was signed to a one-year, $2.9 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 28, 2021.
He scored the overtime game-winning goal against the New York Rangers in Game 1 of their 2nd round series in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Having concluded his contract with the Hurricanes, Cole was again on the move in agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 13, 2022.
Contract
Ian Cole signed a 1 year / $3,000,000 contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, including $3,000,000 guaranteed, and an annual average salary of $3,000,000.
| Contract: | 1 yr(s) / $3,000,000 |
| Signing Bonus | – |
| Average Salary | $3,000,000 |
| Free Agent: | 2023 / UFA |
In 2022-23, Cole will earn a base salary of $3,000,000, while carrying a cap hit of $3,000,000.
Cole signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old defenseman had 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) in 75 regular-season games and two points (one goal, one assist) in 14 Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Carolina Hurricanes last season.
Selected by the St. Louis Blues in the first round (No. 18) of the 2007 NHL Draft, Cole has 165 points (29 goals, 136 assists) in 670 regular-season games for the Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins and Blues and 26 points (two goals, 24 assists) in 110 playoff games.
Cole won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.