The NHL has launched an investigation into Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ian Cole after some harrowing sexual assault allegations were levied against him via social media on Friday. According to Katie Strang, the NHL has been made aware of the social media posts which were posted online on Friday in which an individual accused Cole in detail of having sexually assaulted her when she was a minor.

The allegations come from a Twitter account under the username @emily_smith3333. She wrote a lengthy statement in which she detailed her accusations against Cole in a post in which she tagged the NHL and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Among the allegations made against Cole were accusations of sexual assault and the grooming of a minor. The accuser alleges that she was not the only minor being groomed by Cole at the time. She alleges her encounters with Cole lasted for as many as four years and started when she was a minor in high school.

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https://twitter.com/emily_smith3333/status/1578464079324205057?s=20&t=h0o52wg4oxcWoFBvmyzNzg

The NHL has launched an investigation into the accusations made against Cole, though it's unclear how long that will take. The allegations come amid the wave of sexual assault claims currently plaguing Hockey Canada.

Cole signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning this offseason. The 12-year veteran won two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015-16 and 2016-17. Ian Cole has spent time with the St. Louis Blues, Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, and Carolina Hurricanes during his career. The 33-year-old signed with the Lightning on a one-year, $3 million deal after registering 19 points in 75 games for Carolina last season.