Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ian Cole has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, for knocking out Colorado Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano, it was announced Friday. afternoon the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.
The incident happened 1:50 into the first period of Thursday’s Lightning 5-0 win over the Avalanche at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Cogliano briefly left the game but eventually returned; he ultimately recorded 13:04 of ice time in the contest.
Cole, 33, currently has a one-year contract with the Lightning worth $3 million. His $5,000 fine will go to the NHL Players Emergency Relief Fund.
The St. Louis Blues originally selected Cole in the first round (18th overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft. The 6’1″, 225-pound left-handed defenseman played for the Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes and Lightning during his 13 season NHL career, winning the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.
In 48 games with the Lightning this season, Cole has three goals and 14 points averaging 19:11 per night. Cole and the Lightning will return to action on Saturday to take on the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
