Erik Cole
Encyclopedia
Erik Cole is an American
professional ice hockey
player currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). He has played most of his career with the Carolina Hurricanes
. He also played a brief stint with the Edmonton Oilers
before returning to Carolina in 2009
. He signed with Montreal on July 1, 2011.
of the USHL
after a family friend, Mark Pierce, out of West Des Moines, Iowa
had multiple scouts take a look. He was then drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes
in the 3rd round as the 71st overall selection in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft
. In the 2001–2002 NHL season, his rookie year, Cole scored six goals during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Additionally, he was one-third of the "BBC Line" featuring Bates Battaglia
and Rod Brind'Amour
during the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup run in 2002. He is the first (and as of 2011, only) native of Norwood, NY in the NHL. Cole played college hockey for the Clarkson University Golden Knights.
He played high school hockey for the Oswego Buccaneers in Oswego, NY.
On December 19, 2005, Cole was chosen to represent the United States
as a player on Team USA's ice hockey
team which competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin, Italy. He was named along with fellow Clarkson University
alum Craig Conroy
, from the Calgary Flames
. He also represented Team USA at the 2007 World Championships
in Moscow
, Russia
.
On March 4, 2006, Cole suffered a fractured vertebra in his neck after getting hit by Pittsburgh Penguins
's defenceman Brooks Orpik
. The injury kept him out of the lineup until Game 6 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals
, where the Hurricanes won the 2006 Stanley Cup
in Game 7. On 12 November 2007, Erik went head first into Florida Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun, he was face down on the ice for over five minutes, and was escorted off the ice via stretcher. It was a neck injury but not serious, and he traveled with the team to Tampa Bay.
Cole is the only player in the NHL to ever be awarded two penalty shots
in the same game. On July 1, 2008, Cole was acquired by the Edmonton Oilers
in exchange for Joni Pitkänen
.
On January 14, 2009, Cole, as a member of the Edmonton Oilers, recorded his fifth hat trick against the Washington Capitals
on goaltender José Théodore
.
Cole set an unofficial NHL record in the Fastest Skater event by skating around the entire Rexall Place
with a time of 13.117 seconds.
On March 4, 2009, Cole was traded back to the Carolina Hurricanes
for Patrick O'Sullivan and a second round draft pick. O'Sullivan was traded to Carolina for Justin Williams
and second round pick earlier that day.
On July 1, 2009, the Hurricanes signed Cole to a two-year contract worth $5.8 million ($2.8 million in 2009-10 and $3 million in 2010-11).
On December 5, 2009 Erik Cole scored his 6th career hat-trick against the Vancouver Canucks
in Raleigh. The second goal went off the skate of Willie Mitchell. He scored the third goal on an empty-net after Canucks back-up Andrew Raycroft
was pulled for an extra attacker in the last minute of play.
On July 1, 2011, Cole signed a four-year contract worth $18 million with the Montreal Canadiens
. Cole will wear jersey number 72 in Montreal.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). He has played most of his career with the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
. He also played a brief stint with the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
before returning to Carolina in 2009
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
. He signed with Montreal on July 1, 2011.
Playing career
Cole was first drafted by the Des Moines BuccaneersDes Moines Buccaneers
The Des Moines Buccaneers are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team of the United States Hockey League . The team played in the West Division starting in the 2009 - 2010 season....
of the USHL
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
after a family friend, Mark Pierce, out of West Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
had multiple scouts take a look. He was then drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
in the 3rd round as the 71st overall selection in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft
1998 NHL Entry Draft
The 1998 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 27 at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. A total of 258 players were drafted.- Selections by round :Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.- Round one :- Round two :...
. In the 2001–2002 NHL season, his rookie year, Cole scored six goals during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Additionally, he was one-third of the "BBC Line" featuring Bates Battaglia
Bates Battaglia
-International:-Personal life:Battaglia lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, the home of his former team, the Carolina Hurricanes. He owns a neighborhood bar called "Lucky B's Around The Corner," located in the heart of Raleigh's Glenwood South District. He is the grandson of Chicago Outfit loanshark...
and Rod Brind'Amour
Rod Brind'Amour
Roderic Jean Brind'Amour is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes. He captained the Hurricanes to the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship in...
during the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup run in 2002. He is the first (and as of 2011, only) native of Norwood, NY in the NHL. Cole played college hockey for the Clarkson University Golden Knights.
Clarkson Golden Knights men's ice hockey
The Clarkson Golden Knights Men's Ice Hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents Clarkson University. The Golden Knights are a member of ECAC Hockey...
He played high school hockey for the Oswego Buccaneers in Oswego, NY.
On December 19, 2005, Cole was chosen to represent the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a player on Team USA's ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team which competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
in Turin, Italy. He was named along with fellow Clarkson University
Clarkson University
-The Clarkson School:The Clarkson School, a special division of Clarkson University, was founded in 1978 as a unique educational opportunity. The School offers students an early entrance opportunity into college, replacing the typical senior year of high school with a year of college...
alum Craig Conroy
Craig Conroy
Craig Conroy is an American former professional ice hockey player and currently the Special Assistant to the General Manager of the Calgary Flames. A sixth round selection of the Montreal Canadiens at the 1990 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Conroy played 1,009 NHL games for the Canadiens, St...
, from the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
. He also represented Team USA at the 2007 World Championships
2007 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2008# — relegated to Division I for 2008- Group A :Final standings# — promoted to Championship for 2008# # # #...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
On March 4, 2006, Cole suffered a fractured vertebra in his neck after getting hit by Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
's defenceman Brooks Orpik
Brooks Orpik
Brooks Orpik is an American professional ice hockey defenseman, an alternate captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . His brother, Andrew, was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres organization and is also currently in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization...
. The injury kept him out of the lineup until Game 6 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals
2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League championship began on April 21, 2006, following the 2005–06 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, seeded one through eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the conference quarterfinals...
, where the Hurricanes won the 2006 Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in Game 7. On 12 November 2007, Erik went head first into Florida Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun, he was face down on the ice for over five minutes, and was escorted off the ice via stretcher. It was a neck injury but not serious, and he traveled with the team to Tampa Bay.
Cole is the only player in the NHL to ever be awarded two penalty shots
Penalty shot (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a penalty shot is a type of penalty awarded when a team loses a clear scoring opportunity on a breakaway because of a foul committed by an opposing player. A player from the non-offending team is given an attempt to score a goal without opposition from any defending players except...
in the same game. On July 1, 2008, Cole was acquired by the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in exchange for Joni Pitkänen
Joni Pitkänen
Joni Pitkänen is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
.
On January 14, 2009, Cole, as a member of the Edmonton Oilers, recorded his fifth hat trick against the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
on goaltender José Théodore
José Théodore
José Théodore is a French Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
.
Cole set an unofficial NHL record in the Fastest Skater event by skating around the entire Rexall Place
Rexall Place
Rexall Place is an indoor arena in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada situated on the north side of Northlands. It is currently the home to the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League, the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League and the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL...
with a time of 13.117 seconds.
On March 4, 2009, Cole was traded back to the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
for Patrick O'Sullivan and a second round draft pick. O'Sullivan was traded to Carolina for Justin Williams
Justin Williams
Justin Williams is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League...
and second round pick earlier that day.
On July 1, 2009, the Hurricanes signed Cole to a two-year contract worth $5.8 million ($2.8 million in 2009-10 and $3 million in 2010-11).
On December 5, 2009 Erik Cole scored his 6th career hat-trick against the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
in Raleigh. The second goal went off the skate of Willie Mitchell. He scored the third goal on an empty-net after Canucks back-up Andrew Raycroft
Andrew Raycroft
Andrew Joseph Ernest Raycroft is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League . Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins 135th overall in 1998, he won the Calder Trophy with the club in 2004 as rookie of the year...
was pulled for an extra attacker in the last minute of play.
On July 1, 2011, Cole signed a four-year contract worth $18 million with the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. Cole will wear jersey number 72 in Montreal.
Awards and achievements
- 1998–99: First-Team All-Conference Team (ECACECAC Hockey LeagueECAC Hockey is one of the five NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conferences that compete in NCAA Division I ice hockey. The conference used to be affiliated with the Eastern College Athletic Conference, a consortium of over 300 colleges in the eastern United States. This relationship ended in...
) - 1998–99: East Second All-American Team (NCAANational Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
) - 1999–00: Second-Team All-Conference Team (ECACECAC Hockey LeagueECAC Hockey is one of the five NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conferences that compete in NCAA Division I ice hockey. The conference used to be affiliated with the Eastern College Athletic Conference, a consortium of over 300 colleges in the eastern United States. This relationship ended in...
) - 2004–05: DEL Champion
- 2005–06: Stanley Cup Winner
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1997–98 | Clarkson Golden Knights Clarkson Golden Knights men's ice hockey The Clarkson Golden Knights Men's Ice Hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents Clarkson University. The Golden Knights are a member of ECAC Hockey... |
ECAC ECAC Hockey League ECAC Hockey is one of the five NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conferences that compete in NCAA Division I ice hockey. The conference used to be affiliated with the Eastern College Athletic Conference, a consortium of over 300 colleges in the eastern United States. This relationship ended in... |
34 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Clarkson Golden Knights | ECAC | 36 | 22 | 20 | 42 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Clarkson Golden Knights | ECAC | 33 | 19 | 11 | 30 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Cincinnati Cyclones Cincinnati Cyclones The Cincinnati Cyclones are a professional hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team is a member of the ECHL. Founded in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at U.S. Bank Arena.... |
IHL | 9 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2000–01 | Cincinnati Cyclones | IHL | 69 | 23 | 20 | 43 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2001–02 | Carolina Hurricanes Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
81 | 16 | 24 | 40 | 35 | 23 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 30 | ||
| 2002–03 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 53 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 80 | 18 | 24 | 42 | 93 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Eisbären Berlin Eisbären Berlin ' are a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga , the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey and is also one of the league's founding members... |
DEL | 39 | 6 | 21 | 27 | 76 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 37 | ||
| 2005–06 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 60 | 30 | 29 | 59 | 54 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 71 | 29 | 32 | 61 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 73 | 22 | 29 | 51 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
NHL | 63 | 16 | 11 | 27 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 17 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 22 | ||
| Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 40 | 11 | 5 | 16 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 82 | 26 | 26 | 52 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 620 | 184 | 206 | 390 | 557 | 43 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 52 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Comp | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 2005 IIHF World Championship - Group B :All times local - Group C :All times local - Group D :All times local -Qualifying round:The top three teams from each group in the First Round advance to the qualifying round... |
United States | WC | 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| 2006 Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics -Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and... |
United States | OG 2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter... |
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2007 2007 IIHF World Championship The 2007 IIHF World Championship were held between April 27 and May 13, 2007 in Moscow, Russia. It was the 71st annual world championship event run by the International Ice Hockey Federation... |
United States | WC | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| Senior int'l totals | 20 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 8 | ||