What do you do when your reputation precedes you?
Cole Hutson does nothing different from what he always does. He has been known as “Lane’s and Quinn’s brother” his entire life. The expectation for greatness always followed him.
When Cole Huston joined the United States National Team Development Program, Nick Fohr, the program’s head coach, had high expectations after coaching his brother Lane for two years. One thing surprised him about Cole, though — the “it factor.”
“The bigger the moment, the more impact he has,” Fohr said.
In one game against No. 4 North Dakota last season, Cole wouldn’t be denied.
North Dakota forward Hunter Johannes tied the game in the third period, pumping his arms up and down with his fingers pointed up in celebration.
“A pretty stupid celly,” Cole deadpanned.
In overtime, Cole took the puck to the point, striding to the left circle, and accelerated, earning enough space to ring one in off the post.
Naturally, he mocked Johannes’ celebration, pumping his arms up with his fingers pointed to the roof of a sold-out Ralph Engelstad Arena.
It’s the one thing separating the incoming freshman defenseman at BU from his brothers — an unparalleled compete level.
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One summer morning, the four Hutson brothers — Quinn, Lane, Cole and Lars — were partway through their intense end-of-week workout: 100 sit-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 burpees, six laps around the field and a tall climb.
“F– you,” one would yell.
“What kind of burpees are those?” one might yell back.
The Hutsons are defined by competitiveness, whether it’s on the ice, in the gym or at the cribbage table.
“I worked with a lot of pro athletes, but they’re different,” said Brian LeSeur, the Hutsons’ private strength coach. “They’re on a whole different spectrum.”
It’s no surprise Quinn and Lane found so much success at BU. They have cemented a legacy of hat tricks, overtime playoff game-winning goals and Hobey Baker top-10 honors. The Hutson name comes with prestige.
When Cole takes the ice for BU this fall, he will be defined by the six letters on the back of his jersey — and he has big skates to fill.
“It’s kind of been like that my whole life,” Cole said. “It’s nothing new to me. I’m just trying to make a name for myself also.”
Captain Shane Lachance knows the pressure of a family legacy. His grandfather, Jack Parker, is synonymous with BU hockey.
“It’s just how it goes,” Lachance said. “Cole is a player who’s going to prove really early on that he’s not just here because of Lane, because of Quinn.”
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The Hutsons grew up in North Barrington, Illinois, spending hours after school on the backyard ice rink their dad, Rob, built.
“[It was] pretty intense at times,” Rob said about living in a house with four boys. “They always came up to the line, but never really crossed the line.”
Cole first got on the ice when he was one-and-a-half years old. He was a little chubby, Rob recalled. He kept falling, but got right back up.
“He was tough as nails from a young age,” Rob added.
By the time Cole joined the North Jersey Avalanche 16U team in 2021, he was a dominant two-way weapon with 62 points in 24 games.
Cole moved to the USNTDP in 2022, breaking the program’s record for most points by a defenseman with 119 — passing the former record holder in 100 fewer games.
It’s far from a hollow honor. The program is a revolving door of top NHL talent. Along the way, Cole passed Adam Fox, Quinn Hughes and, of course, Lane Hutson.
One would be hard-pressed to find a scouting report that doesn’t compare Cole to Lane. It makes sense — they are both offensive defensemen with distinct edges, deception, hockey IQ and risk management.
“By the untrained eye, you look at them and at those two guys, and they look like the same player,” Fohr said. “One of the Hutson boys does it with hard work, and the other one does it with competitiveness.”
BU head coach Jay Pandolfo said Lane is busier with the puck, while Cole is smoother. Rob noted how Lane is more strategic on defense, while Cole displays emotions.
“Lane’s a little flashier,” LeSeur said. “Cole is more of that, ‘Hey, Cole, I need you to run into that wall as fast as you can.’ And he’ll do it.”
Cole said it is a “cheat” to follow Lane’s career path, but it’s also no secret the two have an internalized competition.
“Cole is now seeing the success his brother’s having and doesn’t want to be any less,” said Tom Boudreau, the Hutsons’ professional skills trainer.
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Cole Hutson was drafted No. 43 in the 2024 NHL draft by the Washington Capitals. Two years earlier, Lane was selected No. 62 by the Montreal Canadiens.
While Cole told Boudreau he preferred to have been drafted in the first round, he joked he was happy to be drafted higher than Lane.
“It’s just bragging rights at the house, nothing too serious,” Cole said. “It’s just something we can joke about and always remember when we’re older.”
Rob mentioned the brothers are each other’s biggest critics and biggest supporters. At the Thanksgiving table, Cole may relish being selected higher, but seeing his brother fall in the draft because of his 5-foot-8 stature upset him.
“I knew how hard he worked and to see him slip in the draft because of size, something that doesn’t really matter in the modern game, I was kind of pissed off for him,” Cole said.
History repeated itself this past June when Cole was draft-eligible. Fohr said everything about Cole “screams first-round pick,” except his size. The first round was held on Cole’s birthday — He didn’t hear his name until the following afternoon.
Following in Lane’s footsteps once again, Cole will need to set out to prove his worth with the Terriers.
“It’s funny to me. The Hutson boys, all of them, they find a way to prove people wrong over and over and over again,” Fohr said. “It’s a pretty good attribute to have.”
Earlier this year, Lane signed his entry-level NHL contract with the Montreal Canadiens. It leaves a big hole in the BU roster, but one Cole has the chance to fill. Those who know him best are confident he will.
“It’s not like you guys are losing Lane Hutson, you’re replacing him with Cole who’s a spitting image,” LeSeur said. “I won’t be surprised if Cole beats [Lane’s points records] by one.”
While Lane is gone, Cole will play with Quinn for the first time in their career — Quinn has already told him everything he needed to know about college. It’s one way Quinn has been a leader.
“Quinn should be getting a lot of the credit on how Cole and Lane are. They’re phenomenal talents,” LeSeur said. “I just feel like Quinn gets overlooked a little bit.”
Maybe Cole will add to the Hutson family legacy, giving his younger brother Lars an even taller task to live up to. Cole hopes to develop his all-around game, but his main goal at BU is clear — a national championship.
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So, what will Cole do, since his reputation precedes him?
LeSeur put it simply: “Do Hutty things.”
“The lights will never be too bright for Cole or Lane or Quinn or even Lars. They’ve been breathing this, pushing themselves to be in this situation,” LeSeur said. “I know that Cole is going to go out there and just dominate. I know for a fact, just no doubt in my mind.”
This story is part of the Daily Free Press’ annual Hockey Issue. Copies are available around campus and at the women’s (Oct. 1) and men’s (Oct. 5) home openers.
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