Team USA got some good news at their New Year's Day practice session when 19-year-old Cole Hutson resumed skating with his teammates. The explosive Hutson is expected to return to the lineup Friday when Team USA faces Finland in the World Junior Championship quarterfinal matchup.
Hutson was removed from the ice on a stretcher last week during a Team USA game against Switzerland. He had been hit in the back of the head by a puck and had been knocked unconscious. He was out for a few minutes, and he was unable to move after he woke up. Gradually, all of his movement ability returned.
“I feel pretty good just kind of waiting it out to see if I'm fully ready to come back,” Hutson said to NHL.com after Thursday's practice. “Obviously, a pretty scary situation so I just want to make sure I feel 100 percent before making the jump back into play.”
Team USA suffered its first defeat in the tournament when it suffered a 6-3 loss to Sweden Wednesday. The defeat dropped the Americans to second place in Group A. The team had accumulated enough points to advance to the concluding rounds of the tournament, and now it appears that Hutson will rejoin his teammates.
Hutson likely to be a key offensive factor for Team USA
Hutson was a second-round selection by the Washington Capitals in the 2024 NHL Draft and he plays college hockey at Boston University. He has been paired with Adam Kleber (a Buffalo Sabres selection) and he was on the first power play unit during the practice session.
Team USA head coach Bob Motzko was looking forward to having Hutson back in the lineup. “He's a guy that can play 28 minutes,” U.S. coach Bob Motzko said of Hutson. “He puts Kleber on his right side, he's one of the more gifted defensemen in the world so it's a positive.”
