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and Ales HemskyThat's something Joni Pitkanen, the talented but aloof and injury-prone defenceman the Oilers traded to Carolina to get Cole, didn't manage during an entire season in Edmonton.-He's been good,- said coach Craig MacTavish, who has Cole playing the left side with Horcoff and Hemsky. -It seems like he's been here a lot longer than a few days.-The 29-year-old made his debut with Horcof football games f and Hemsky and responded with a goal and an assist. Equally impressive has been the way the six-foot-two, 205-pound forward has embraced a hockey city that never warmed to Pitkanen.-I'd like to make as seamless a transition as possible.-Cole went house-hunting in Edmonton right after the July 1 trade. Wife Emily and children Bella and Landon are already settled. The kids are in school and dad's football games occupying the dressing room stall next to captain Ethan Moreau.Heavily involved in charity work through his Dream Big Foundation, which promotes everything from youth hockey to library and hospital expansion in Oswego, Cole has attended several team functions and charity events in Edmonton.-We've always been a team that's close. He's going to fit in well with that because he wants to be here. He w football games ants to be part of the team and a part of the city.--I don't think it matters what NHL city you're playing in, the organization and fans want to see you involved in the community,- said Cole, who purchased a suite in Carolina with teammate Eric Staal so inner-city kids could attend games.With Cole fully recovered from his frightening neck injury of three seasons ago - he was sent head-first into t football games he boards by Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpik - hopes are high he'll be a big piece of the puzzle that puts the Oilers back in the playoffs after two years out.-He's really motivated to make that work. Conceivably, he'll be really good there. We'll see how it all fits.- football games
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