Ice Breakers: The latest on Ian Cole’s suspension by Tampa Bay Lightning
It’s been a busy start to the NHL season and on Thursday, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli broke down some of the biggest stories around the league. Seravalli talked the latest on Ian Cole and the Tampa Bay Lightning and Arizona Coyotes players expressing concern about their new home at Arizona State University.
Mike McKenna: “This week has been pretty tumultuous in a lot of ways and no more so than for Ian Cole. What is the latest on this situation and where is it headed?”
Frank Seravalli: “The Lightning defenseman Ian Cole met with the NHL’s chief of security officer Jarrod Maples on Wednesday in New York City. That wasn’t necessarily a hearing, moreso an interview. A chance for the NHL to ask questions. He was represented by his own legal team and counsel as well as the Tampa Bay Lightning and NHL Players’ Association in that meeting. Basically where it stands now is the PA, the Cole camp and Lightning are waiting for the NHL — if they have anything — to bring something forward to corroborate what was an anonymous social media post that came from an account that was newly created with some serious and damaging allegations. The thing is the timeline is important here and this is what the NHLPA is pushing: that if there is nothing new, if there’s no corroboration, no one that comes forward relating to that account, then Cole needs to get back on the ice with the Tampa Bay Lightning — the suspension can’t drag on forever. I do think there’s a possibility if there’s nothing new that comes forward, that Cole is back on the ice sooner rather than later, perhaps in the next few days.
“When you talk about precedent being set here, and I think this is a key concern from the NHLPAs part, is think back to some other investigations that are ongoing. You don’t have to look further than the 2018 World Junior and Team Canada. Any of the players who could potentially be involved and were interviewed as part of that process — and this is something that there’s a criminal case attached to and a settlement — those players are still playing. In this case, you have the goods or you don’t, and if not, Ian Cole I’d expect to see back on the ice as this continues to progress.”
You can listen to the full episode of Daily Faceoff Live below.