Cole to Join Jeff O’Neill for All-Star Weekend in Sunrise, Fla.

	Carolina's Erik Cole will compete in the Topps/NHL YoungStars Game on Saturday, Feb. 1 in Sunrise, Fla.

RALEIGH, N.C. – The National Hockey League announced today that Carolina Hurricanes left wing Erik Cole has been selected to the 2003 Topps/NHL YoungStars game in Sunrise, Fla. on Feb. 1. Cole and right wing Jeff O’Neill will represent the Hurricanes at NHL All-Star Weekend as O’Neill was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team on Thursday.

Cole (6’ 2”, 200 lbs.) ranks fourth among Hurricanes scorers with 12 goals and 11 assists (23 points) this season. Carolina drafted the 24-year-old Oswego, N.Y., native in the third round, 71st overall, in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. He is in his second NHL season after a rookie campaign that saw him play in 81 of 82 regular-season games, net 16 goals, earn 24 assists (40 points) and accumulate 35 penalty minutes. Cole played in all 23 games of the Hurricanes’ 2002 Stanley Cup Finals run and notched six goals and three assists (9 points) during the playoffs.

Cole signed with the Hurricanes following three seasons at Clarkson University and played 78 regular-season games and 12 playoff games with Carolina’s top minor-league affiliates in 1999-2000 and 2000-01 before joining the Hurricanes prior to last season.

The Topps/NHL YoungStars game will feature the game’s premier young players in an exhibition game played on Saturday of the NHL’s All-Star Weekend. ESPN, CBC and RDS will broadcast the YoungStars game and the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills competition live from Office Depot Center beginning at 7 p.m. on Feb. 1.

The Hurricanes return to RBC Center on Monday to face St. Louis at 7 p.m. Tickets for Monday’s game and all Hurricanes games are available via the team’s official website, CarolinaHurricanes.com, the Dodge Box Office at RBC Center or by calling 919-834-4000.