Erik Thomas Cole was born on November 6,1978 and is an American former professional ice hockey left winger.
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18 Facts About Erik Cole
2.
Originally drafted by the Hurricanes in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Cole played 15 seasons in the NHL for the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings.
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3.
Early in his career, Erik Cole played high school ice hockey for the Oswego Buccaneers in his hometown of Oswego, New York.
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4.
Erik Cole then attended Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, where he played college hockey for the Golden Knights ice hockey team in the NCAA's ECAC conference.
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5.
On December 19,2005, Erik Cole was chosen to represent Team USA ice hockey for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
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6.
Erik Cole was named alongside fellow Clarkson University alumnus Craig Conroy, then of the Calgary Flames.
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7.
Erik Cole represented Team USA the next year at the 2007 IIHF World Championship in Moscow.
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8.
On March 4,2006, Erik Cole suffered a fractured vertebra in his neck after getting hit by Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik.
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9.
On November 12,2007, Erik Cole went head-first into Florida Panthers goaltender Tomas Vokoun; he was face down on the ice for over five minutes and was escorted off the ice via stretcher.
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10.
Erik Cole was the first player in the NHL to ever be awarded two penalty shots in the same game.
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11.
On July 1,2008, Erik Cole was acquired by the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Joni Pitkanen.
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12.
Erik Cole set an unofficial NHL record in the Fastest Skater event by skating around the entire ice at Rexall Place with a time of 13.
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13.
On March 4,2009, Erik Cole was traded back to Carolina in exchange 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.
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14.
On December 5,2009, Erik Cole scored his sixth career hat-trick against the Vancouver Canucks in Raleigh.
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15.
Erik Cole scored the third goal on an empty-net after goaltender Andrew Raycroft was pulled in favor for an extra attacker in the last minute of play.
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16.
On July 1,2011, Erik Cole signed a four-year, $18 million contract as a free agent with the Montreal Canadiens.
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17.
On March 23,2012, Erik Cole scored a natural hat-trick just 5:41 into a game against the Ottawa Senators, setting a Canadiens record for the quickest hat-trick from the start of a game.
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18.
On September 20,2017, Erik Cole signed a one-day contract with the Carolina Hurricanes and subsequently announced his retirement from the NHL.
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