Ian Cole knows what it’s like to sign with an irrelevant team, only for that team to turn around and become a playoff contender. That, of course, was with the Vancouver Canucks, an organization that went from one of the worst in hockey to one of the best, and now, he’ll face the same challenge with the Utah Hockey Club.
Like John Marino, Cole is a player who wasn’t around to see the growing pains during the team’s twilight years in Arizona (or Vancouver). While Cole doesn’t have as much experience with those growing pains as Marino, he will bring more wisdom to the team than the former New Jersey Devil because of his age and experience.
Cole has been around the league for so long that during his first season in the NHL, the Buffalo Sabres were making the NHL Playoffs. Since the 2010-11 season, Cole has gone on to play for several playoff teams, and he was part of those dynamic 2015-16 and 2016-17 Pittsburgh Penguins squads that won back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Why is all of this relevant? Cole knows what it’s like to not only help transform a team into a winning organization, but he also knows what it takes to keep a franchise atop the league. Oh, and let’s not forget that he spent some of his earliest years playing for arguably one of the NHL’s most stable teams in this century, the St. Louis Blues, so that may have helped some.
Ian Cole brings a steady, veteran presence to the Utah Hockey Club
Overall, Ian Cole’s value comes from his time in the NHL since his age-21 season, but he’s also someone who will continue to bring steady play for as long as he decides to stick around in the NHL. Cole played between top-four and third-pairing minutes last season, and while he accumulated just two goals and 11 points, his defensive play remained as good as ever.
He didn’t land triple-digit body checks, but 166 blocks helped sustain him as one of the league’s better defensemen when it comes to positioning. He saw just 50 goals allowed at even strength, and Cole helped the Canucks score on multiple occasions, evidenced by the 57 on-ice goals and his 10.5 on-ice shooting percentage.
If you’re a fan of the Utah Hockey Club, it may be a bummer that Cole won’t contribute much in goals and assists. But that’s not what he’s in town for. Instead, he’ll be a solid supplement when Utah has the puck, and he’ll continue to play a dynamic role defensively.