The Boston University Terriers named Cole Hutson one of their alternate captains for the 2025-26 NCAA season on Monday.
BU is still just under a month away from its season opener against the Long Island University Sharks on October 4 at Agganis Arena. Hutson, a 2024 second-round pick of the Washington Capitals, is returning for his sophomore year in college after winning the 2025 Tim Taylor Award as NCAA Rookie of the Year and recording six more points than the next-best freshman in the nation.
Junior defenseman Gavin McCarthy will serve as BU’s captain, while junior forward Jack Harvey and sophomore forward Cole Eiserman join Hutson as the other alternates.
In his first year with the Terriers, Hutson posted 48 points (14g, 34a) in 39 games, finishing tied for most points by a defenseman with Denver sophomore Zeev Buium. BU made it to the national title game, where they fell 6-2 to the Western Michigan Broncos.
The Terriers are expected to be a strong team again under head coach Jay Pandolfo. The team is adding several high-ranked commits and transfers to their roster this year, including NHL draft picks Conrad Fondrk, Jack Murtagh, Carter Amico, Charlie Trethewey, Sacha Boisvert, Ben Merrill, Ryder Ritchie, Owen McLaughlin, Jonathan Morello, and Malte Vass.
Fellow NHL draftees Eiserman, Sascha Boumedienne, Kamil Bednarik, Aiden Celebrini, Mikhail Yegorov, and Brandon Svoboda will join Hutson in returning for another season.
Hutson, who says he’s majoring in “hockey” at BU, was a top performer at the most recent Capitals’ development camp, with general manager Chris Patrick saying he was at a “different level” than most of the group. Hutson’s 3-on-3 team won this year’s tournament at the camp, and he scored two goals in the championship victory.
“We’ll kind of give him space,” Patrick said of Hutson. “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.”
Hutson, like Ryan Leonard last season, could sign an entry-level contract with the Capitals whenever BU wraps up their season next spring.
