Winger has missed last seven games with a torn muscle

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—March 8, 2007

RALEIGH, NC—Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that left wing Erik Cole has been activated from the injured reserve list. Cole has missed the Hurricanes’ past seven games with a torn muscle in his hip area.

Cole, 28, has scored 25 goals and earned 26 assists to rank fifth on the team with 51 points while playing in 57 of Carolina’s 68 games this season. The Oswego, NY, native leads the Hurricanes and ranks eighth in the NHL with 186 hits this season, and had points in eight of his last 12 games played (1/11-2/8; 2/17: 7g, 6a) prior to being sidelined with the muscle tear. Cole (6’2”, 205 lbs.) is in his fifth NHL season, and has 103 goals and 116 assists (219 points) in 331 games, all with Carolina.

The Carolina Hurricanes travel to Washington for a Friday evening meeting with the Capitals at the Verizon Center (7 p.m., FSN South, Hurricanes Radio Network), the first game of a two-game road trip that will conclude with a Sunday matinee against the New York Rangers (12:30 p.m., NBC, Hurricanes Radio Network). Carolina will return to the RBC Center on Tuesday to take on the Florida Panthers (7 p.m. FSN South, Hurricanes Radio Network). Tickets for all Hurricanes home games are available at the RBC Center box office, all TicketMaster locations, by calling 919-834-4000 or via www.CarolinaHurricanes.com. For information on Hurricanes ticket packages, please call 1-866-NHL-CANES or visit www.CarolinaHurricanes.com.