Content Warning: This article discusses sensitive subjects such as sexual abuse and child grooming.

Tampa-Bay defenseman Ian Cole has been suspended after an anonymous tweet accuses him of sexual abuse and grooming.

On Friday October 7th, an anonymous woman tweeted her statement on allegedly being groomed and sexually abused by NHL defenseman Ian Cole. The tweet comes from an account named Emily Smith, so throughout this article I will be referring to the alleged victim by her pseudo name Emily Smith. 

In her statement on Twitter, Smith claims that she first met Cole while she was a minor in high school. She says that when they met, Cole was already an established player in the NHL and had been playing for a few years. According to Smith, Cole allegedly pursued relations with her, knowing that she was a minor, and pressured her into sexual encounters. 

Smith also claims to have suffered emotional abuse from Cole, stating that “He [often] bragged about all the other girls he was sleeping with and [would] show me their angry texts to him while laughing about how they thought they were dating. He would say how he appreciated that I was the only one who understood that he couldn’t do commitment and how deeply he cared for me” (Smith). Smith believes this was an emotional manipulation tactic used to coerce her into staying quiet and not getting angry in order to gain Cole’s approval and affection. 

While in college, Smith says she learned of another alleged relationship between Cole and a minor from her former high school. She says she tried to confront Cole about his relations with a minor, but that he became angry and dismissed Smith’s concerns as her being angry that she and Cole were not in a committed relationship. 

In her statement, Smith revealed that she later learned from one of Cole’s former NHL teammates that many members of the team had been aware that Cole had sexual relations with a minor. 

I believe this revelation led Smith to her primary call to action in her statement: the NHL as an organization needs to begin holding itself and its players accountable for abusive, misogynistic, and predatory behavior. 

On Sunday, October 9th, the Tampa-Bay Lightning released a statement saying that they were aware of the allegations being made against Ian Cole and would be suspending him, with pay, pending the results of an investigation. Both the team and Cole himself have stated they will cooperate with the investigation. 

The recent allegations made against Cole and Hockey Canada highlight an important issue within the sport. Moving forward, the NHL has a responsibility to reevaluate how they address sexual abuse at all levels of hockey and to work towards creating an environment, within teams and the organization as a whole, that discourages and condemns predatory and misogynistic behaviors. 

If you or someone you know is in an abusive situation please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline: call 1-800-799-SAFE or text “START” to 88788. Or visit https://www.womenshealth.gov/relationships-and-safety/get-help/state-resources to find resources or programs offered in your state. 

Sources:

Crawford, Kirkland. “Michigan Native, NHL Player Ian Cole Suspended after Accusation of Sexual Abuse, Grooming a Minor.” Detroit Free Press, Detroit Free Press, 10 Oct. 2022, https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2022/10/09/ian-cole-michigan-native-accused-sexual-abuse-grooming/69550818007/. 

Li, David K, and Lindsey Pipia. “Tampa Bay Lightning Suspend Ian Cole Pending Sexual Abuse Allegation.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 10 Oct. 2022, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tampa-bay-lightning-suspend-ian-cole-pending-sexual-abuse-allegation-rcna51460. 

Smith, Emily [@emily_smith3333]. “My statement on being groomed and sexually abused by Tampa Bay Lightning and NHL player Ian Cole.” Twitter, Oct. 7, 2022, https://twitter.com/emily_smith3333/status/1578464079324205057.