Name: Riley Cote #32
Born: March 16, 1982
Winnipeg, MB
Height: 6-2
Weight: 216 Lbs.
Age: 26

Shoots: Left
Position: Left Wing

2007-08 Regular Season: Is first on the team in penalty minutes with 202......Scored his first career NHL goal vs. Montreal on Feb. 17......Posted an assist vs. NY Rangers on Nov. 15, his first career NHL point.
- Co-Winner of the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy as the Flyer who has most improved from the previous season, as voted by his teammates.

- NHL/Flyers Career Regular Season Totals: 78 GP, 1-3-4, 213 PIM
- Regular Season Lifetime Totals vs. Washington: 4 GP, 0-0-0, 7 PIM
- 2007-08 Single Game Regular Season Highs: Goals - 1 (vs. MTL, 2/17/08); Assists - 1 (three times); Points - 1 (four times); Shots - 2 (vs. LA, 1/29/08); Plus/Minus - +1 (seven times); TOI - 9:08 (vs. NJ, 1/22/08)

Acquired: Signed as a free agent by Flyers, August 23, 2005

 

Cote is known for his skills as an enforcer, dedicated work ethic, and for his wild, aggressive style of play. Not drafted to the National Hockey League after completing juniors, Cote was a walk on to the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp in fall 2002. He impressed the Leafs staff, signed a one year contract, and was assigned to the Leafs Central Hockey League affiliate, the Memphis RiverKings. While called up Toronto's American Hockey League affiliate (the St. John's Maple Leafs) a few times during the 2002-2003 season, he spent most of his rookie year with the RiverKings and was with them when they won the CHL championship that season. Not re-signed by the Leafs, Cote was signed to a 2-way contract by the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL and entered the training camp for their NHL affiliate, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in fall 2003. Columbus released him and he returned to the Crunch.

An eye injury caused during a pre-season scrimmage resulted in Cote being assigned to the Crunch's ECHL affiliate, the Dayton Bombers, for much of the 2003-2004 season. Cote was recruited back to the RiverKings for the 2004-2005 season but was offered a tryout contract by the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms just before the season began. The Phantoms extended his contract twice through the 04-05 season. Cote would eventually spend the entire season with Philadelphia and help the Phantoms win the AHL championship accumulating a team-leading 280 penalty minutes and becoming a fan favorite along the way (as he had with his previous teams).

Shortly after the season ended, Cote's effort and contributions were recognized as the Phantoms signed him to a 1 year standard player contract. Since the 2005-2006 season, Riley has served as one of the Phantoms Alternate Captains. He would participate in the Philadelphia Flyers training camps in fall of 2005 and 2006. In the 2006-2007 season, Cote was signed to a 2-way contract by the Flyers.

Early in the season, he was assigned to the Phantoms and shortly after suffered an ankle injury that kept him from playing most of the season. When he returned to the ice, he was greeted with cheers by the fans and announced his return by getting into a fight on his very first shift. He would be recalled to the Flyers late that season and play 8 NHL games. After the Flyers season ended, he returned to the Phantoms and finished out the season with them. Cote was re-signed by the Flyers for the 2007-2008 season.

Cote was suspended on December 3, 2007 for three games after he delivered a high head shot to Dallas Stars defensemen Matt Niskanen late in the third period two days earlier. He became the fifth Flyers player to receive a suspension during the 2007-08 season after Steve Downie, Jesse Boulerice, Randy Jones and Scott Hartnell.

In recognition of his contributions to the community, the Phantoms named Riley as the 2006-2007 Man of the Year.

Riley Cote scored his first NHL goal on February 17, 2008 against rookie goaltender Carey Price of the Montreal Canadians.

 

For Information on appearances, please contact Jerrold Colton at (856)-782-8600