NEW YORK — The National Hockey League announced today that it has concluded its investigation into anonymous allegations posted on social media against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ian Cole, finding no evidence to substantiate the allegations.
The investigation into the allegations, which were made anonymously in a social media post on Oct. 7, was conducted by the League’s Security and Legal departments.
The investigation included two separate interviews with Mr. Cole, as well as interviews with NHL club personnel and others with potentially relevant information. In addition, the investigation included a detailed review of online and social media, public data, court records and police checks. Additionally, despite attempts by the League to contact the anonymous source of the social media post, those efforts were unsuccessful.
Based on the above, the National Hockey League now considers this matter closed.