Cole Hutson is one of the top prospects in all of hockey and is headed back to college for his sophomore season at Boston University. The 2024 second-round pick of the Washington Capitals made it to the 2025 National Championship game with the Terriers and is heading back to school to try to avenge the team’s loss to Western Michigan.
The 19-year-old defender will be eligible to sign an entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals after the season. However, he stated on Saturday at the end of Caps Development Camp that there is no guarantee he’ll be ready to do so next spring.
“Obviously, big reason I’m going back for school, I want to win a national championship,” Hutson said. “I want to graduate school, make my mom happy. I’m in no rush to go any place. You can’t get worse playing college hockey. Just going to enjoy the moment. If it’s two or three more years, I’m perfectly fine with that. So, just going to have fun and hopefully win maybe one or two national championships.”
Hutson finished his first year at BU as the top freshman in the nation, winning the 2025 Tim Taylor Award as NCAA Rookie of the Year and being the only freshman out of the 24 players selected to the East/West First and Second-Teams. He posted 48 points (14g, 34a) in 39 games, six more points than the next-best freshman and 22 more points than the next-best freshman defenseman.
While his sights seem firmly set on the NCAA for now, he admitted that it was exciting to be at his second development camp, building bonds with guys he could one day share a Capitals locker room with. He’s also previously shared the current Caps players he is most excited to one day play with, so his future with the team doesn’t sound uncertain.
“Yeah, I think it’s really cool, obviously, being here with draft picks and free agents,” Hutson said. “We have no idea who’s going to be a teammate in the future, and just building relationships before, hopefully, you make it to the pros. It’s good to get to know guys, build connections, and hopefully become teammates with them.”
Hutson’s 3-on-3 team won this year’s tournament at the camp, and he scored two goals in the championship victory against an opposition team that featured the highly talented Andrew Cristall. His performance throughout the five-day camp turned heads among the top Capitals brass.
“Yeah, I thought he was excellent,” general manager Chris Patrick said. “I thought he was at a different level. He certainly seems like a guy that is ready for the next step.”
The Capitals went through a similar process with top prospect Ryan Leonard last season. Leonard delivered 49 points (30g, 19a) in 37 games for Boston College during his sophomore season and then signed with the Caps once the Eagles were eliminated in the NCAA tournament.
Patrick sounded undeterred by Hutson’s assertion that he would be okay with playing longer in college than Leonard did.
“It feels like Leonard part two here,” Patrick said. “We’ll kind of give him space. I know he’s got some goals this year for what he wants to do at BU. And then once his season’s done, we’ll put the push on.”
“What I saw there this week, which really impressed me, was that we all know the skill and the skating ability, the stuff he does with Wendy, it looks easy for him. That’s not easy stuff,” Patrick added. “But to me, what I was impressed by was his competitiveness. Not just in that 3-on-3, but if he did a drill, he didn’t like the way he did it, he’s firing pucks down the other end of the ice. He wants everything to be perfect all the time. That kind of drive is a good trait to have for a guy that wants to be an NHLer.”
Hutson’s older brother, Lane Hutson, played just two seasons at BU before signing with the Montreal Canadiens. The 21-year-old rearguard won the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year this past season, recording 66 points (6g, 60a) in 82 games.
Cole watched his brother take on the Capitals during the playoffs, wearing a Canadiens ugly Christmas sweater. He met with Caps head coach Spencer Carbery after Game 3 at the Bell Centre.
Hutson will also be eligible to play in the 2026 World Juniors for Team USA after winning gold last January at his first tournament and becoming the first defenseman in World Juniors history to lead in points. He could win back-to-back golds and then end the year signing with the Caps, just like Leonard did.
