Erik Cole

Erik Cole (born November 6, 1978) 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.

Playing career
Cole was first drafted by the Des Moines Buccaneers 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 Norwood-Norfolk Flyers in Norwood, 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.

Awards and achievements

 * 1998–99: First-Team All-Conference Team (ECAC)
 * 1998–99: East Second All-American Team (NCAA)
 * 1999–00: Second-Team All-Conference Team (ECAC)
 * 2004–05: DEL Champion
 * 2005–06: Stanley Cup Winner