The Capitals prospect made his mark on the World Juniors stage.
The Washington Capitals saw Cole Hutson put on a show in his return from injury at World Juniors on Friday, but it wasn't enough as Team USA fell to Finland, 4-3 in overtime.
Hutson scored a goal and added an assist in the defeat, setting a Team USA record for the most career World Juniors points (15) and assists (11) by a defenseman. He also led his team with over 25 minutes of ice time.
The 19-year-old was making his return to the lineup following a scary injury on Saturday, where he was knocked unconscious and taken off the ice on a stretcher after being struck in the back of the head with a puck. Before his injury, he was the Americans' leader in ice time and boasted a plus/minus rating of plus-5.
After a week of practicing and getting back to full strength, he was able to play in the quarterfinal and made several key plays to help keep the Americans in it. He finished the tournament with a goal and three assists for four points in three appearances.
Hutson is set to return to Boston University to continue his sophomore season, where he's impressed so far with 20 points through 18 games. All the while, Washington will continue to evaluate where he's at and whether or not he wants to make the pro jump come spring.
The rising defenseman was taken in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft.