Cole Hutson is already one of the most highly-skilled young players in the NHL, just 14 games into his Washington Capitals career. But the 2024 second-round pick is figuring out quickly that flashy plays come with a level of accountability, especially if you turn the puck over while trying to make one.
Hutson shared a story about learning that the hard way from Capitals alternate captain Tom Wilson, while speaking to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan at the 2026 NHLPA Rookie Showcase in Chicago. The 20-year-old defender was asked to share his most embarrassing hockey story and went with when Wilson got on him after an ill-timed toe-drag led to a turnover during a lopsided Capitals win.
“Multiple turnovers at every level,” Hutson said. “I had a toe drag when we were up like 4- or 5-1 in Toronto, and Tom [Wilson] let me hear it after the game. He’s a guy I’m really close with off the ice, but he’ll humble you real quick. You respect him, and you listen, and then you move on.”
Hutson and the Capitals took on the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 8, the 11th game of his first stint in the NHL. The Caps ended up winning the game 4-0, with Hutson famously scoring an empty-net tally before realizing he could have passed the puck to fellow rookie Ilya Protas for the big Belarusian to score his first career goal.
Cole Hutson scores empty-net goal against Maple Leafs
While Hutson’s “embarrassing” moment was clearly a prime example of a young player learning the ropes in the NHL, it’s also further evidence of Wilson’s growth as a leader with the Capitals. The 32-year-old winger is presumed to be the next captain of the club once Alex Ovechkin officially departs as soon as next summer, and it’s clear that he has the utmost respect of the team’s entire roster.
Wilson has been known to connect with the Capitals’ prospects before they even officially join the team, with Ryan Leonard and Andrew Cristall previously mentioning hearing from him when they were still playing college and junior hockey, respectively. He was also the one who pied Hutson in the face after the young defender scored his first NHL goal in March.
Tom Wilson pies Cole Hutson in the face
Cristall, who was Washington’s other representative at the showcase, told Kaplan his own embarrassing story, which was a little less serious and from far earlier in his hockey-playing days.
“My parents have told me when I was learning how to skate and getting on the ice, I would love it so much I’d be crying in the middle of the ice, not wanting to get off,” Cristall said. “So I think my mom had to go out on the ice and drag me off. Throwing a tantrum in the middle of the ice is probably the worst.”
