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Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ian Cole will have an in-person interview Wednesday in New York as part of the NHL’s investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against him, sources told ESPN.
Cole will be interviewed by Jared Maples, the NHL’s chief security officer.
Cole was suspended by the Lightning on Sunday after a Twitter user who identified herself as Emily Smith posted that she was sexually abused and groomed by Cole when she was a minor. In a statement released through his agent, Cole said he would cooperate with the investigation and “look forward to clearing my name and demonstrating to the NHL and the Tampa Bay Lightning that these allegations are without merit.”
Maples joined the NHL in 2021 after serving as director of New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. Maples has been involved in other league investigations, including last season when Evander Kane, then a forward for the San Jose Sharks, is now with the Edmonton Oilers.
According to sources, the Lightning have decided to suspend Cole until the league’s investigation is complete.
The 33-year-old defenseman, entering his 13th NHL season, signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent this summer on a one-year, $3 million contract.
The Lightning open the season Tuesday night in New York for a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Rangers.
The charges against Cole were filed on October 7.
Smith posted on Twitter that she had been groomed by Cole for years, “starting when I was a minor in high school,” and noted that Cole was “well aware of my age” at the time of the alleged sexual assault.
“As a teenager, I didn’t even know what a haircut was,” she writes. “When you’re young and this happens to you, you don’t realize you’re a victim. As I got older and built up my confidence, I began to fully understand the extent of what had happened to me and that it could never have been consensual.”
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