Ian Cole
Two-time Stanley Cup champion defenseman for ten NHL teams.
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Ian Douglas Cole (born February 21, 1989) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Minnesota Wild during the 2020–21 season. Cole is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, having won with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017. He was drafted 18th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2007 NHL entry draft and has played for ten NHL clubs.
Lore & Background
Ian Cole joined the Minnesota Wild on January 19, 2021, when he was traded by the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Greg Pateryn. He made an instant impact, solidifying the Wild's third pairing and helping the team push up the standings. In 52 regular season games with Minnesota, Cole recorded 1 goal and 8 points. He featured in all seven games of a first-round series defeat to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Cole's path to Minnesota included stops with the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Colorado Avalanche. He won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017, scoring his first career playoff goal in game four of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final against Martin Jones of the San Jose Sharks. After leaving Minnesota as a free agent, Cole signed with the Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, Utah Hockey Club, and Chicago Blackhawks.
Reader's Guide
Ian Cole's tenure with the Minnesota Wild, though brief, was marked by immediate impact on the team's defensive depth. Acquired mid-season from a divisional rival, Cole solidified the Wild's third pairing and contributed to a push up the standings. His experience as a two-time Stanley Cup champion brought playoff pedigree to a young Wild roster, as he played in all seven games of a first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Cole's time in Minnesota was part of a journeyman career that saw him play for ten NHL clubs, with his ability to step into a third-pairing role and provide steady defensive play making him a valuable rental. Despite showing interest to return to the Wild as a free agent, Cole was unable to come to terms and signed elsewhere. His legacy with the team is that of a reliable, veteran defenseman who helped stabilize the blue line during a playoff push.
Career statistics and honours
Medals
- Silver 2006 World U-17 Hockey Challenge
- Silver 2007 IIHF World U18 Championships
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2005–06 | U.S. NTDP U17 | USDP | 18 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005–06 | U.S. NTDP U18 | USDP | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005–06 | U.S. NTDP U18 | NAHL | 40 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 75 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 |
| 2006–07 | U.S. NTDP U18 | USDP | 42 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2006–07 | U.S. NTDP U18 | NAHL | 16 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2007–08 | University of Notre Dame | CCHA | 43 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2008–09 | University of Notre Dame | CCHA | 38 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2009–10 | University of Notre Dame | CCHA | 30 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2009–10 | Peoria Rivermen | AHL | 9 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2010–11 | Peoria Rivermen | AHL | 44 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2010–11 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 26 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2011–12 | Peoria Rivermen | AHL | 22 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2011–12 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 26 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012–13 | Peoria Rivermen | AHL | 34 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2012–13 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 15 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2013–14 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 46 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2014–15 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 54 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2014–15 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 20 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 2015–16 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 70 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 59 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14 |
| 2016–17 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 81 | 5 | 21 | 26 | 72 | 25 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 22 |
| 2017–18 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 47 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017–18 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 20 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 2018–19 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 71 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 115 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 16 |
| 2019–20 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 65 | 4 | 22 | 26 | 36 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 2020–21 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020–21 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 52 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 32 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2021–22 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 75 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 83 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 2022–23 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 78 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 61 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 2023–24 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 78 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 61 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 2024–25 | Utah Hockey Club | NHL | 82 | 1 | 16 | 17 | 77 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025–26 | Utah Mammoth | NHL | 82 | 3 | 20 | 23 | 50 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| NHL totals | 990 | 38 | 195 | 233 | 871 | 135 | 4 | 29 | 33 | 102 | ||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | United States | U17 | Silver | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2007 | United States | U18 | Silver | 7 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 2008 | United States | WJC | 4th | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2009 | United States | WJC | 5th | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Junior totals | 25 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 20 | |||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-CCHA First Team | 2008–09 | |
| AHCA West First-Team All-American | 2008–09 | |
| CCHA All-Tournament Team | 2009 | |
| NHL | ||
| Stanley Cup champion | 2016, 2017 | |
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Ian Cole (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
Did You Know?
- Cole scored his first NHL goal on March 9, 2011, against Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Mathieu Garon.
- He played college hockey at the University of Notre Dame from 2007–08 through 2009–10, recording 69 points in 111 games.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Ian Cole (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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