While playing for the United States National Team Development Program, Bardreau committed to Cornell University.[1]
In his sophomore season at Cornell, Bardreau was lent to Team USA to compete at the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Two weeks after returning from winning gold, Bardreau suffered a cervical fracture in his neck while playing at Cornell that caused him to miss the 2012–13 season and the NHL draft.[2] Bardreau spent three months post-surgery in a neck brace with limited activity allowed before slowly being allowed to return to skating six months later.[2] The following season, Bardreau was forced to miss some games to recover from back-to-back MCL tears[3] but was still able to rank fourth on the team with goals.[4]
The 2015–16 season was Bardreau's first full season in the AHL. Bardreau was forced to miss most of October and November due to an arm and knee injury.[3] Bardreau was named CCM/AHL Rookie of the Month for the month of January after he scored 12 points in 11 games played in January.[7]
"The main thing with Cole is that he is tenacious," Gordon said. "When you are a pro, it means you can replicate the same process, not just here and there but with consistency. He takes pride in playing sound defense, killing penalties, finishing checks, winning puck battles; all those work ethic things we talk about. He has some skill, too, but the things he does that set him apart are in details."
After his sophomore season, Bardreau was forced to miss the Philadelphia Flyers training camp due to abdominal surgery.[9]
On July 15, 2017, Bardreau signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Flyers.[10] However, Bardreau broke his hand in a preseason game against the New York Islanders and started the season on injured reserve.[11] He returned to the lineup on October 25 and recorded five points in six games.[8]
On July 2, 2019, Bardreau signed as a free agent to a two-year, two-way contract with the New York Islanders.[12] Bardreau's first NHL game came on October 19, 2019, when the New York Islanders were visiting Columbus, Ohio to play the Columbus Blue Jackets.[13] In his first game Bardreau logged 8:54 over 15 shifts. His first NHL point came on October 27, 2019 in Nassau Coliseum against the Philadelphia Flyers. He received the primary assist on Ross Johnston’s goal in the first period.[citation needed] He recorded his first career goal on a penalty shot against the Ottawa Senators on November 5, 2019,[14] which was the game-winning goal in a 4–1 Islanders win.[citation needed] On September 20, 2021, Bardreau was re-signed to a two-year contract by the Islanders.[15][16] On December 1, 2022, the Islanders called Bardreau up from Bridgeport as one of two forwards to fill in for players who were out day-to day with injuries.
Following a productive 2022-23 season in which Bardreau scored a career-best 15 goals and 16 assists in 67 games — the eighth most on the team — at the conclusion of his NHL contract with the Islanders he opted to remain within the organization by signing a one-year AHL contract with the Bridgeport Islanders for the 2023–24 season on July 6, 2023.[17]
After six seasons within the Islanders organization, Bardreau left as a free agent and opted to pursue a career abroad by signing a one-year contract with HC Pustertal of the ICE Hockey League on July 18, 2025.[18]
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