FEATURE: Ian Cole's Journey of Longevity, 1,000 Games Later

Saying Ian Cole has put together an impressive NHL résumé would be an understatement.

Since being selected 18th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2007 NHL Draft, 37-year-old stay-at-home defenseman has established himself as one of the league's most reliable veteran blue liners.

Now, 17 seasons later, Cole reached another milestone in an already accomplished career, skating in his 1,000th NHL game Friday night against Montreal, becoming just the 422nd skater in NHL history to hit the mark.

“It’s a cool milestone,” Cole explained the next day. “1,000 games is always kind of like that benchmark of longevity in hockey. So, to finally get there is special for sure.”

The key to his success? Consistency and dedication, both on and off the ice.

“I think there is a lot off the ice for sure, in terms of training hard, getting ready for every season, but also trying to thread that needle of ‘Hey I want to push you, but not to the point where you get hurt,’” the Blackhawks defenseman said. “Just general recovery, try to sleep, trying to do all the foundational things that really matter. Just because our sleep schedules are so messed up, you just try and do it as best you can.”

“And then on the ice it’s just trying to be consistent, trying to have the team know exactly what they’re going to get from you every single night,” Cole continued. “I think one thing that’s been my focus for a while is consistency in my game and my approach, but also the product on the ice. You want to try and be a predictable product out there. One your teammates, coaches, and everyone in the organization can rely on, and you try and do that the best you can. I think that certainly helps in the longevity conversation.”

It’s a mindset that has become evident to everyone around him throughout his whole career, including his current head coach.

“[Ian is] an unreal example of what a great pro looks like and what longevity looks like,” Head Coach Jeff Blashill said. “If you see him in the weight room, he’s got a physique. He’s done all the work to make sure that he’s still a really good player, even as he continues to age. I think that’s just a great example for our guys [on] the day-to-day dedication that it takes to have longevity in this league.”

Entering his 17th season in the NHL, the Blackhawks defenseman has carved out a career that has spanned across 10 different franchises. Along the way, he built a reputation as a dependable blueliner and respected veteran, qualities that have proven especially valuable on a young Blackhawks roster.

“He’s been really good for our D core to understand managing risk/reward,” Blashill explained. “I think he does it with and without the puck pretty well, and I think it’s one of the big things that I think young D have to learn is the management of that risk/reward.” 

“Whether that means when to make a play [or] when to live another day, but also without a puck [in terms of] when to pinch down [or] when not to,” Blashill continued. “I think he’s been a good example that way.”

A product of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and a Notre Dame alumnus, Cole spent his first four seasons of his NHL career in St. Louis before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins during his fifth season. 

During his first full season with his new team, Cole wasted no time making an impact, helping Pittsburgh capture back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.

After over three seasons in the Steel City, Cole became a sought-after veteran defensemen throughout the league. Over the following years, he suited up for Columbus, Colorado, Minnesota, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Vancouver, and Utah before ultimately arriving in Chicago.

“It’s kind of that survivor mindset, right? You just try to stay as long as you can,” Cole explained on staying in the league. “You get to point where you try to make it stick, if you will, and then you try to play as well as you can and last as long as you can.”

“I’m a big fan of Tom Brady,” Cole continued. “When he talks about where you kind of get addicted to winning, right? You have to win so bad. So, I think when you focus on the micro, rather than the macro, and you look at every shift, every period, every game, and you’re like ‘Ok how do we win this shift, or this period, or this game.’ Then you just start to chew up seasons pretty quickly and you don’t really come up for air, but you end up with product over time that’s really good.”

That approach has not only helped Cole build a lengthy NHL career but also forge relationships and earn respect everywhere he’s played. Few know that better than Blashill, whose relationship with Cole dates back years before their time in Chicago. 

“I actually knew Ian a long, long time ago,” said Blashill. “Like when he was getting recruited coming out of college and stuff like that. Then coached him in Tampa, then I coached him here.”

Cole has tallied 233 points (38G, 195A) and a plus-170 through 1,000 games in the league, while adding 33 points (4G, 29A) in 135 Stanley Cup Playoff games. 

Yet the numbers only tell part of the story. Across nearly two decades in the NHL, Cole has built a career defined by reliability, professionalism and an unwavering commitment to his craft. From a first-round draft pick to a two-time Stanley Cup champion and now a member of the NHL’s exclusive 1,000-game club, his journey serves as a testament to the work required not only to reach the league, but stay in it.

Of course, milestones like this are never accomplished alone. For Cole, reaching 1,000 games is as much a reflection of the people who supported him along the way as it is the games themselves.

“Oh man, obviously family for sure,” Cole said, regarding who’s played an important role in helping him reach this milestone. “My parents taking me to hockey all those years growing up. I mean yeah sure, long pro career, but also very long youth career and amateur career as well. So, all that support has been amazing, and it’s certainly nice to be able to focus on family and focus on people that you really love and care about and be able to leave hockey at the rink. Listen, I could attribute thanks and thankfulness to so many people over the years, teammates and coaches and staff that I worked with, but it would be a very long list. But everyone’s been amazing through this whole ride, it’s been great.”

“It’s a huge accomplishment,” Blashill said. “So, hats off to him for having the longevity he’s had in his career and how good a player he’s been throughout. We’re lucky to have him.”

And while 1,000 games represents a remarkable milestone, Cole isn’t spending much time looking in the rearview mirror.

“Everything’s gone well thus far, and you know, hopefully I get to keep doing it for at least a couple more years. Maybe 1,000 more, play until I’m 50, be like Gordie Howe out there with the white hair.”