Cole Hutson made his NHL debut for the Washington Capitals on March 18 against the Ottawa Senators. The then-teenage defender skated an impressive 16:24 of ice time, scoring his first NHL goal into an empty net with 26 seconds remaining in regulation.
While it may have looked like Hutson was cool as a cucumber for his first big-league action, it turns out he was feeling anything but. He recently spoke about how nervous he was to jump out onto the ice during a guest appearance on the Empty Netters podcast.
“I mean, just leading up to the game was just like, I can’t believe I’m about to go play out there,” Hutson said. “Do I belong out there? I don’t know. Thoughts run through your head all morning. I go to pregame meetings, shaking in the pregame meeting seat.”
Cole Hutson scores first NHL goal
Ahead of puck drop, Hutson received some advice from one of his good friends, Ryan Leonard, who made a similar late-season debut for the Capitals a year prior. However, Leonard’s advice didn’t exactly work the same way for Hutson as it did for him.
“Finally get up to the game, and Leno’s like, ‘Oh, [the nerves] will go away after warmups,” Hutson said. “(After warmups), I’m like, ‘They’re not gone. What do I do?’ They say, ‘Who’s starting lineup?’ And they’re like, ‘Cole, you’re going.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, oh, s***. They’re still there. They’re even more there now.’
“As soon as the puck dropped, I think I had to go back on a puck. I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m gonna get killed right now.’ Then we had a pretty long O-zone shift, and I was like, ‘Oh, this feels pretty good; I’m gonna get off now.’ Then I think the nerves kind of cooled down a little bit. They were still definitely there, but not as bad.”
Hutson, who celebrated his first goal alongside the legendary Alex Ovechkin, seemed to calm down quickly in his first stint with the Capitals, notching 10 points (3g, 7a) in his first 14 NHL games. He will be expected to play an even larger role in his official rookie campaign with the Caps next season, especially as one of the primary drivers on what will hopefully be a much improved power play under new assistant coach Ray Bennett.
The 2024 second-round pick will be one of the favorites to contend for the NHL’s Calder Trophy next season as the league’s Rookie of the Year. He’ll have to battle with fellow top Capitals rookie Ilya Protas and other star freshmen for the honor.
