RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- After of summer of celebrating with the Stanley Cup, the Carolina Hurricanes trudged back to training camp to play their way into shape for a title defense.

"The toughest thing was making sure I didn't squeal the tires on the way out of the driveway," he said.

The three weeks of drills and practices that make up training camp hardly rank among the perks of being a professional athlete. But no one can blame the left winger for seeming so eager to get started on the new season. Not after he lost three months last season to a broken neck, and not after recovering in time to help the Hurricanes close out the Edmonton Oilers in a thrilling Stanley Cup finals.

"I think I'm a little bit more anxious this year, certainly more anxious than probably any of the other guys in the room," Cole said. "Obviously it was a short summer for a lot of guys, but I had quite a long spring so the summer didn't seem all that short for me. I'm anxious to get back at it."

Cole's comeback in Game 6 of the Cup finals gave the Hurricanes a badly needed a spark against the physical Oilers, but it came with the risk that he could be hurt again on any hit along the boards. Now, it seems almost as though he was never gone, with Cole skating through training camp as one of several fleet attackers on the Hurricanes' roster.

"Looks like Erik Cole before he got injured," veteran defenseman Glen Wesley said. "Mentally, it's good for him to be fresh and know he's 100 percent and excited to get started."

That's what coach Peter Laviolete is hoping for. Cole was having a memorable season -- from his individual success as a member of the U.S. Olympic team to the team's unexpected rise in the NHL standings -- when he scored twice against Pittsburgh on March 4 to push his goal total to a career-high 30.

But by the time the game was over, Cole was being treated at a Pittsburgh hospital after being driven headfirst into the boards from behind by the Penguins' Brooks Orpik, who was later suspended for three games. The team later said he had suffered a compression fracture in a neck vertebra.

Cole spent weeks wearing a thick white brace, taking it off only to shower and shave. He endured sleepless nights, staring blankly at late-night TV shows while trying to get comfortable enough to eventually nod off. But as he pushed himself through physical therapy and skating with his teammates, he kept hoping that he would be able to return -- even as team doctor Doug Martini said two weeks before the finals that Cole wasn't ready to play a contact sport.

But then he got the OK to come back for Game 6, and went on to help the Hurricanes beat the Oilers 3-1 in Game 7 for the franchise's first Stanley Cup.

"I think everybody was ... just a little concerned," defenseman Mike Commodore said of Cole's return. "I had the chance to reflect on it this summer. It truly was amazing. I don't know if I could do that."

Cole -- who has said his risk of re-injury is no different now than it was during the playoffs -- spent the summer working to rehabilitate and strengthen the neck for the upcoming season. He said he would probably have another CT scan to make sure everything is OK before the Hurricanes open the regular season against Buffalo on Oct. 4.

"I don't think anything was really in the back of my mind (about the injury) at the end of last season, either," Cole said. "I know what the risks are and what situations will put me in a vulnerable position, so I'll just try my best to be aware of them and stay away from them and play hard."

The Hurricanes clearly expect him to return and play without any hesitation. They signed Cole to a three-year, $12 million contract in July, keeping him as one of the team's young core players along with rising star Eric Staal, winger Justin Williams and goaltender Cam Ward -- the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as most valuable player of the postseason.

"Maybe when my time playing is done, I'll reflect on everything and think about different situations and the things I went through," Cole said. "But it's not something I try to dwell on. You just try to enjoy every moment that you're in and make the best of it and move on from there."