Team USA had a huge development at their practice on Thursday.
Washington Capitals prospect Cole Hutson was a full participant at the team’s skate for the first time since he took a puck to the back of the head and needed to be stretchered off the ice. Hutson missed the last two World Junior Championship games for the Americans, including the team’s first loss in this year’s tournament, a 6-3 defeat to Sweden on the final day of group play.
Thursday’s news comes courtesy of NHL.com’s Mike Morreale, who captured video of Hutson warming up for practice.
Despite Hutson’s brief hospitalization for the injury, Team USA officials, including head coach Bob Motzko, have been confident that the star defender would return at some point during this year’s tournament. He may be able to do so in the Americans’ quarterfinal matchup against Team Finland on Friday night.
“I feel pretty good,” Hutson told Morreale. “I’m just waiting it out to see if I’m fully ready to come back. Obviously, a pretty scary situation, so just want to make sure I feel 100 percent before making the jump back into play.”
Hutson will come into the game just one point shy of tying Erik Johnson (14) for the USA’s all-time World Juniors defense scoring lead. With two assists against Germany in his first game this year, Hutson already tied the US record for career assists by a defenseman at the tournament, held by Ryan Suter (10).
In his lone complete game at this year’s tournament, Hutson led Team USA in ice time, skating 24:20 in a 6-3 win. He had been skating on the team’s top pair next to Buffalo Sabres prospect Adam Kleber.
Hutson has history against the Finns at the World Juniors, recording three points (2g, 1a) in two games against them last year. Two of those points (1g, 1a) came in the 2025 gold medal game, which the Americans won 4-3 in overtime.
