Tag: ian cole

DULUTH, MN – This weekend, the United States Navy Blue Angels will be performing at the Duluth Airshow. But Wednesday, they welcomed a special guest and a big fan.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Ian Cole was in town to fly with the Blue Angels. The Ann Arbor, MI native comes from a military background with both of his grandfathers having served. He is also a big fan of the Duluth area, too.

“If I was left to my own devices, I’d probably be scared of heights. But you’re with some of the best pilots in the world, the best pilots in the world. I’m not nervous. I’m not scared of heights. I’m going to put my trust in his hands and let him do his job,” Cole said.

Cole is an ambassador for the United Heroes League, which keeps children from military families active in sports through camps and special experiences and is using this experience to spread the word on the organization.

HASTINGS, MN – Two bricks hold a deeply special meaning for Ian Cole and his family.

The commemorative blocks will be cemented into the Heroes Monument being built on the United Heroes League (UHL) campus in Hastings, Minnesota, and will be one of the largest in the Twin Cities area, honouring over 4,300 U.S. service members while featuring 60-foot walls that will be visible by aircraft along the Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport flight path.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Ian Cole has a system for packing.

He takes three or four hockey bags, fills them with clothes and then loads the bags into his car that’ll be shipped to his next destination.

“The car shows up all packed to the gills,” he said.

And when it’s time to meet his new teammates, the veteran NHL defenseman also knows what to do.

“Hey,” he says. “I’m Ian.”

A two-time Stanley Cup champion with almost 600 games of experience, Cole was traded for the fourth time in his career when the Wild acquired him from Colorado earlier this season. He ended up being the final addition to the 2021 roster, with the team letting last week’s trade deadline pass without making any changes.

But despite being the last to arrive, Cole is no longer an outsider. He has fused to the Wild with his enthusiasm and rugged style of play.

ST. PAUL, MN – Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired defenseman Ian Cole from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Greg Patryn.

EDMONTON, ALBERTA – Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ian Cole is a 10-year NHL veteran, two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he already has one of the best beards in the 2020 NHL playoffs.

He also was kind enough to spend some time on his off day in the bubble answering questions from fans, submitted to ESPN.

So as the Avs prepare for the next game in their series against the Arizona Coyotes, let’s hear from Ian on how he’s combating boredom in the bubble, what the food is like, why it looks like he’s eating his jersey during warm-ups, and of course, the latest fashion choices from teammate Nikita Zadorov.

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Michael G: Do you mark your beard to figure out how much is a regular-season beard and how much is a playoff beard?

Cole: When you’re confident in your team, there is no difference between a regular-season beard and a playoff beard. But it is funny to see it grow. I pretty much trim it up or shave it before my headshot for the year, so it’s funny to look back and see a little bit of scruff or something, and right now it’s just … out of control.

DENVER, CO – Avalanche defenseman Ian Cole is “100 percent” for the reported NHL proposal to skip the end of the regular season and go directly into a 24-team playoff to award the Stanley Cup by late August or early September.

A two-time Cup champion with Pittsburgh Penguins, Cole would vote for any plan that gave him a shot at a third crown. And he knows the Avalanche is capable of winning its third Cup in 24 years.

“To be honest with you, I like to keep it simple: Whatever gets us back and playing, I’m 100 percent for. Whether that’s 16 teams, 24 teams — 30 teams, 31 teams — whatever gets us back and playing I’m 100 percent on board with,” Cole said in a phone interview with The Post.

DENVER, CO – Ian Cole was absent for the Colorado Avalanche’s first four games of the season as he was finishing his recovery from dual hip surgery in the offseason, but since his return on Oct. 14, Cole has provided the solid defense that he is known for and has chipped in offensively.

The veteran defenseman added to his point streak on Saturday at American Airlines Center as he scored his third goal of the season, but the Avalanche fell 3-2 in a shootout against the Dallas Stars.

The one point earned does give Colorado 50 on the season and makes it the second club in the Western Conference to reach the half-century mark. The Avs were playing their first shootout of the year, the last team in the league to play in a tiebreaker.

 

BOSTON, MA -Ian Cole made his NHL debut at the Boston Bruins on Nov. 6, 2010 and tonight he will play his 500th game in the league against the same opponent in the same building.

Through 499 outings, the Colorado Avalanche defenseman has recorded 22 goals and 100 assists, notching helper No. 100 on Nov. 30 in the Avs’ 7-3 win against the Chicago Blackhawks.

He was selected in the first round (18 overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues and played his first 167 outings with the club before the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired him during the 2014-15 season.

DENVER, CO-  The Avalanche wasted no time signing defenseman Ian Cole in the first hour of the 2018 offseason, getting his name on a three-year, $12.75 million contract.

Six weeks into the season, that signing is paying dividends. Avs coach Jared Bednar credits Cole’s play and presence for the defense’s ability to rebound from a recent five-game slide in which the Avalanche allowed 25 goals, a negative skid snapped by Sunday’s 4-1 win in Edmonton.