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It is unclear what the next steps will be. Tampa Bay’s next game is Friday in Columbus.
If Cole remains out of the lineup for an extended period without the league finding evidence to corroborate the allegations, the NHL Players’ Association would file a grievance, sources said.
The interview with Cole was conducted by Jared Maples, the NHL’s chief of security. Maples previously served as the director of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.
Cole, 33, is entering his 13th season in the league. The allegations against Cole were made on Friday by a Twitter user who called herself Emily Smith. In a post, Smith wrote that Cole sexually abused and groomed her for four years, beginning when she was in high school.
“It has taken me years to find the courage to come forward and I have decided to speak out anonymously because sadly I feel that this is the only way I can be fully transparent without harassment and retaliation,” she wrote.
