Canucks Agree to Terms with Ian Cole on a One-Year Contract

Vancouver, B.C. - Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the club has agreed to terms with defenceman Ian Cole on a one-year contract worth $3 million.

"Ian brings a lot of experience to our hockey team and will definitely bolster our blueline," said Allvin. "He knows what it takes to be successful in the NHL, knows how to compete, and he knows how to be a leader both on and off the ice. Bringing in someone with a Stanley Cup experience and pedigree is an important addition to our core group."

Cole, 34, recorded 17 points (3-14-17) and 61 penalty minutes in 78 regular season games with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. The 13-year NHL veteran also co-led all Lightning defencemen in plus-minus (+13) while leading the entire team in shorthanded time on ice (225:24).

Among defencemen, he ranked third on the team in hits (117) and blocked shots (123). In an additional six playoff games with Tampa Bay, Cole registered one goal and two assists.

The 6'1", 225-pound defenceman has played in 748 career regular season NHL games, split between Tampa Bay, Carolina, Minnesota, Colorado, Columbus, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis, accumulating 182 points (32-150-182), 683 penalty minutes and a +144 plus-minus rating.

Cole has also played an additional 116 NHL playoff games, posting 29 points and 92 penalty minutes. He is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion having won in consecutive years (2016 & 2017) with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Cole represented the United States on multiple occasions throughout his junior career, including back-to-back World Junior Championships in 2008 and 2009. Cole was originally selected by the St. Louis Blues in the first round, 18th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.