Erik Cole Erik Cole ( born November 6 , 1978 ) is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . He has played most of his career with the Carolina Hurricanes . He also played a brief stint with the Edmonton Oilers before returning to Carolina in 2009 . He signed with Montreal on July 1 , 2011 . Playing career . Cole was first drafted by the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL after a family friend , Mark Pierce , out of West Des Moines , Iowa had multiple scouts take a look . He was then drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 3rd round as the 71st overall selection in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft . In the 2001 – 2002 NHL season , his rookie year , Cole scored six goals during the Stanley Cup Playoffs . Additionally , he was one - third of the " BBC Line " featuring Bates Battaglia and Rod Brind ' Amour during the Carolina Hurricanes ’ Stanley Cup run in 2002 . He is the first ( and as of 2011 , only ) native of Norwood , NY in the NHL . Cole played college hockey for the Clarkson University Golden Knights . He played high school hockey for the Norwood - Norfolk Flyers in Norwood , NY . On December 19 , 2005 , Cole was chosen to represent the United States as a player on Team USA ' s ice hockey team which competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin , Italy . He was named along with fellow Clarkson University alum Craig Conroy , from the Calgary Flames . He also represented Team USA at the 2007 World Championships in Moscow , Russia . On March 4 , 2006 , Cole suffered a fractured vertebra in his neck after getting hit by Pittsburgh Penguins ' s defenceman Brooks Orpik . The injury kept him out of the lineup until Game 6 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals , where the Hurricanes won the 2006 Stanley Cup in Game 7 . On 12 November 2007 , Erik went head first into Florida Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun , he was face down on the ice for over five minutes , and was escorted off the ice via stretcher . It was a neck injury but not serious , and he traveled with the team to Tampa Bay . Cole is the only player in the NHL to ever be awarded two penalty shots in the same game . On July 1 , 2008 , Cole was acquired by the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Joni Pitkänen . On January 14 , 2009 , Cole , as a member of the Edmonton Oilers , recorded his fifth hat trick against the Washington Capitals on goaltender José Théodore . Cole set an unofficial NHL record in the Fastest Skater event by skating around the entire Rexall Place with a time of 13 . 117 seconds . On March 4 , 2009 , Cole was traded back to the Carolina Hurricanes for Patrick O ' Sullivan and a second round draft pick . O ' Sullivan was traded to Carolina for Justin Williams and second round pick earlier that day . On July 1 , 2009 , the Hurricanes signed Cole to a two - year contract worth $ 5 . 8 million ( $ 2 . 8 million in 2009 - 10 and $ 3 million in 2010 - 11 ) . On December 5 , 2009 Erik Cole scored his 6th career hat - trick against the Vancouver Canucks in Raleigh . The second goal went off the skate of Willie Mitchell . He scored the third goal on an empty - net after Canucks back - up Andrew Raycroft was pulled for an extra attacker in the last minute of play . On July 1 , 2011 , Cole signed a four - year contract worth $ 18 million with the Montreal Canadiens . Cole will wear jersey number 72 in Montreal .