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ARLINGTON, V.A. — Washington Capitals prospect Cole Hutson’s major at Boston University?
“Hockey,” he said with a straight face, a slight sseriousness behind the punchline.
It’s true in a way; the 19-year-old’s life revolves around the sport, and when it comes to playing at the NCAA level, it’s been a major learning experience.
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“It was a big adjustment for sure,” Hutson said. “From the USHL, just older guys that are more physical and coming after you every night. That wore on tore on me every day.”
For Hutson, things didn’t go exactly according to plan to start the year. The physical and mental grind was exhausting, and starting out the year, he struggled to adapt to the game while letting his emotions get the best of him.
“I’m a pretty emotional player, and like you saw in the beginning of the season, I took a lot of dumb penalties just trying to take kids’ heads off,” Hutson said.
While adversity’s never exactly welcome, it was what he needed to take the next step forward.
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“You don’t want to play bad, but I think with adversity, you’re getting better,” Hutson explained. “You overcome adversity, you get noticeably better over time. Without those challenges, I think I’d not be a good player at all.”
Then, he got the boost of confidence he needed leading Team USA at the World Junior Championships. He led the way with 11 points through seven games en route to a gold medal, and it was the turning point he needed to get his game back to where he knew it could be.
“I just did what it takes to get to the next level, and it made me a lot better,” Hutson said.
Hutson finished out his freshman year with 48 points in 39 games with the Terriers, helping them all the weay to the NCAA Championship game, where they fell to Michigan Tech.
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Attending his second Capitals development camp, Hutson has led the charge with his skating and puck-moving ability, and continues to showcase his confidence and vision to the coaching staff. He plans on returning to B.U. for the upcoming season and continuing to round out his game to kick things into even higher gear.
“I think being super mature on both sides of the puck (is where I want to grow),” Hutson said. “I think taking care of the defensive side before I jump to the offensive part of my game, even though it’s a lot more fun than the defensive side, that’s what you’re going to need to make it to the next level.”