The NHL announced Saturday that its investigation "found no evidence" to support the allegations made against Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Ian Cole that emerged earlier this month. Cole has now been reinstated by the Lightning following a short suspension.
The Lightning suspended Cole last Sunday after he was accused of sexual assault and grooming of a minor via a statement posted anonymously to Twitter on Friday. The team said Cole would remain suspended “pending the results” of the NHL’s investigation.
Twitter user @Emily_Smith3333 released a statement on Oct. 7 in which they accused Cole of grooming and sexual assault. The statement does not say when or where the alleged assault occurred, but @Emily_Smith3333 says that they were in high school and Cole was an active NHL player at the time.
The NHL's investigation, which was conducted by the League’s security and legal departments, included "two separate interviews with Mr. Cole as well as interviews with NHL club personnel and other individuals with potentially relevant information," according to the league's press release.
Further, the league's statement continues, "the investigation included a detailed review of on-line and social media, public data, and court records and law enforcement checks. In addition, despite attempts by the League to make contact with the anonymous source of the social media post, those efforts were unsuccessful."
In response to the NHL's decision, the NHLPA released the following statement later Saturday:
"We are pleased that the situation with Ian Cole is now resolved and that the NHL has closed the matter. However, players should never be subject to suspension or discipline in response to unsubstantiated and anonymous accusations. Removing a player from his team under these circumstances is inappropriate and grossly unfair. We are engaging the League in discussions on how to address similar situations in the future.”
Immediately following the NHL's press release, the Lightning issued a statement saying the team supports the NHL's conclusion. The Lightning's press release also included a statement from Cole:
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to respond to and refute the anonymous allegations made against me, which I categorically deny,” he said. “I’m looking forward to returning to the ice with my teammates and will have no further comments on this matter going forward.”
Both the league and the team indicated they now consider the matter closed.
