Former Carolina Hurricanes forward Erik Cole announced today that he will be retiring from the NHL. Cole was drafted in the third round in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. In addition to playing for the Hurricanes, Cole found himself playing for the Edmonton Oilers too. After playing with the Oilers for a season, he decided to come back to Carolina again. At 38 he has suited up for 892 NHL games throughout his career.
Erik Cole Retires from NHL
In addition to playing for the Hurricanes and the Oilers, Cole has also played for the Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars, and the Detroit Red Wings. Cole was definitely able to put the puck into the back of the net, in the 2005-06 NHL season he scored 30 goals while playing for the Carolina Hurricanes. He followed up that season with 29 goals. His career high in goals was when he played for the Montreal Canadiens. In the 2011-12 season Cole scored 35 goals. He also tied his career high in points that year with 61, a tally he originally got in Carolina in 2006-07.
Cole proved throughout his career that he was a useful player in any team’s lineup. He was a four time 20-plus goal scorer, and a two time 30-plus goal scorer. Another key point in all of this is that although Cole announced his retirement today, he has been inactive since the 2014-15 season where he last played with the Detroit Red Wings. Cole has also won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2005-06 season. He reached the Cup Final twice.
Now that Cole has retired he will be taking on a role with Carolina. The Hurricanes have hired him as a team ambassador. Take that for what it is. Cole was a serviceable NHL player and he definitely won’t be forgotten about for his success in the league.
Main Photo:
