When Tampa Bay Lightning's Ian Cole was cleared of sexual abuse allegations against him

Ian Cole is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who plays for the National Hockey League's Tampa Bay Lightning. Cole won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In October 2022, the league's security and legal departments investigated the allegations against Cole, including two separate interviews with Cole, as well as NHL club personnel and other individuals with potentially relevant information. Despite multiple attempts, the league could not successfully contact Cole's accuser.

The National Hockey League announced there was no evidence Cole sexually abused a minor. The league's investigation has since been completed.

A statement from the league read:

"The investigation included a thorough examination of online and social media platforms, public data, court records, and law enforcement checks. Furthermore, despite the League's efforts to contact the anonymous source of the social media post, those efforts were futile... The National Hockey League now considers this matter closed on the basis of the foregoing."

An anonymous Twitter account made the allegations against Cole public. The person wrote that Cole groomed her over a four-year period, "starting when I was a minor in high school," and that the NHL defenseman was "well aware of my age" when the alleged sexual abuse occurred.

Following the allegations, Cole was suspended by the Lightning. The team said in a statement that they were aware of the accusations against Cole and are cooperating with the league in their investigation.

Ian Cole quickly issued a statement in which he "completely" denied the allegations:

"I take the allegations made against me today in an anonymous tweet very seriously, I look forward to clearing my name and demonstrating to the NHL and the Tampa Bay Lightning that these allegations are unfounded."

Ian Cole's NHL career

The St. Louis Blues selected Ian Cole in the 18th round of the 2007 NHL Draft after he finished his second season with the national team. As a true freshman at Notre Dame, he became the most highly drafted hockey player in school history.

Cole spent three seasons split between St. Louis and Peoria before becoming a regular with the Blues at the start of the 2014-15 season. Cole was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 2, 2015, after 167 games and five seasons with St. Louis.

Cole's ice time increased after the trade, and he has settled into a stay-at-home role with the Penguins. Though Cole is not known for his offensive abilities, his first NHL playoff goal was crucial; he opened the scoring with Pittsburgh's 3-1 victory in Game 4 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, which the Penguins would have won in six games.

Cole had nine assists in 25 playoff games as the Penguins won their second straight Stanley Cup in 2017. He spent most of the 2017-18 season with Pittsburgh before being traded twice in three days in February 2018 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Ian Cole agreed to a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 28, 2021, as an unrestricted free agent. On July 13, 2022, he signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.