Defenseman Cole Hutson is listed as day-to-day for the U.S. World Junior hockey team after he left the ice on a stretcher Saturday night in a preliminary-round game in the IIHF World Junior Championship.
With the United States leading Switzerland 1-0 in the second period of the game in St. Paul, Minn., Hutson was hit in the back of the helmet by a shot on goal by Gian Meier. He fell to the ice and was surrounded by his teammates as he was being evaluated by medical staff.
He was taken to an area hospital and discharged in time to rejoin the team postgame.
“It was a scary situation, no question,” USA coach Bob Motzko said after the game, a 2-1 win for the Americans.
“It’s a very close group of guys, and they responded. It knocks you back. The building was silent. But the good news is that he was released and is back with us.”
Hutson, 19, is a sophomore at Boston University and was named a first-team All-American as a freshman. A native of Chicago, he was selected by the Washington Capitals with the No. 43 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
He won a gold medal in the 2025 junior championships with Team USA and was the first defenseman to lead the tournament in scoring with 11 points on three goals and eight assists.
Hs older brother is Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, who won the Calder Memorial Trophy signifying the NHL rookie of the year last season.
