Going to the AHL will help you be a more rounded player and complete player…

Good decision Ian.

It just means we have yet another very good young defenseman to look forward to. It means the Blues can let Polak, Petriangelo, and E.J. mature 1st, then work on Ian.

The Blues will have one of the best defenses in the NHL for at least 10 years at this rate.

GREAT!!!!

HockeyBob

Good for him. He should enjoy his college years. He is a kid and one more year will not ruin his future.

Wow JR wrong? Who would’ve thunk!! Have the garbage he writes is written by the Blues and given to him. I wonder if he gets JD his soda after the game.

I do not know Ian Cole so this may be an unfair analysis. But, my impression after reading Cole’s comments - and considering their timing - is that Cole saw how hard the rookies worked in the OFF-SEASON to make the Blue Note senior squad…and that he’s not ready to work that hard. In college, he’ll play 35 games - on weekends - and be the big man on campus. In the AHL, he’ll play 80 games, fight every day for playing time and be a rookie with all of the ‘baggage’ that comes with being one.

I could be wrong…but…

The life of a college hockey player is more of a grind than the 5th comment would have you believe. They may play fewer games than the AHL but their hockey-related time is quite similar. Pro players don’t get the instruction time college ones get. These guys spend a lot of time as hockey players. In addition to the MINIMUM of 36 games, there are 4 two hour practices a week, individual instruction beyond that, three 6:00 a.m. weight training sessions a week (Notre Dame’s are known around the CCHA as some of the most strenuous training in college sports) Sunday tape sessions, and other off-ice hockey related obligations a Notre Dame hockey player is responsible to meet. In addition all Notre Dame hockey players (and all of their other athletes) are required to perform some sort of community service. All of that is over and above the 30-40 hours a week that each of these players devotes to their class time and studies. In addition to his time as a hockey player, Ian Cole devotes as much time to school work as any student athlete around, as well. Regardless of whether or not he chose now as the time to turn pro, he valued his education.

OK. I suppose the same criticism could have been (and probably was) thrown at Oshie. With Oshie, some merit could be had in his decision to stay an extra year since it gave him another shot at the national championship. Notre Dame is no UND, it isn’t even a UMD. While there certainly isn’t anything wrong with getting an education, Mr. Cole wants to be a hockey player. A college degree does him no good. Playing on a team of boys will not do him much good.

Being a college hockey player is rough, I understand. I am sure he works very hard to juggle all those responsibilities. The fact is, he is harming his hockey development. He should go to the AHL and get PAID to play at a higher level. If I could have gotten an entry level job that paid 100K a year w/o finishing college, I sure would have jumped.

All I can say is that this is no a logical decision he has made, which makes me wonder about the quality of education he is getting. I wonder if a college co-ed is behind this.

It’s fun to be a kid! He wants some college experience in his life before he grows up. Great for him!

Hope we see you next year!

I think “Think” needs a primer on the college game. Notre Dame has played for a more recent championship than either UMD or North Dakota. Brett Lebda had basically no coaching in his four years of NCAA hockey yet it prepared him just fine to play for the RedWings and win a Cup. Had he left college early I think he still would have had a year and a half internship in the AHL. Cole is learning the game at Notre Dame every bit as much as he would in the AHL. The number of games played by minor leaguers is oftentimes overrated. How many games have you seen Ian Cole play? I’ve seen virtually every game he’s played in college, and plenty before, as well as some of his games on the international stage. And while it’s just an empty statement on my part, trust me when I say I know more about the game than anyone in St Louis who isn’t working for the Blues. My guess is whenever he starts getting paid cash money to play hockey he’s going to need some time in the AHL. I’m also pretty sure that Blues fans are going to see a hockey player with a lot of upside. He’s got the tools and they’re being sharpened quite nicely.

No one knows for sure where his development as a hockey player would be best served because he can’t be both a pro and an NCAA hockey player. But to write that his development is being harmed simply by his decision to stay another year at Notre Dame simply shows you have neither the foresight or the information necessary to make such a statement. It also makes me wonder about the quality of your education.

In response to a few of the other comments…

1. Notre Dame is a hockey powerhouse. #1 seed going into the tournament before being upset.
2. I wouldn’t say he’d be a “big man on campus” when you go to school with the Notre Dame football and basketball teams. If you’ve read some of his other interviews, he admits that most people have no idea who he is at school.

I really don’t think he can go wrong with his decision. At Notre Dame, he’ll play 30 minutes a night in all situations, be a leader on his team, and compete for a national championship. If he goes to the A, he won’t play nearly as much and probably not in the important situations. Anyways, he can still come up to Peoria after next year.