Caps’ Cole Hutson nets first NHL goal despite debut jitters

WASHINGTON — Cole Hutson brought the puck through the neutral zone on a 3-on-1 break with the opposing net empty, and Washington teammate Connor McMichael was pointing forward, practically ordering the rookie to shoot.

“He’s doing everything other than pulling flares out and saying, ‘Do not pass me the puck,'” coach Spencer Carbery said. “Credit to him for doing that for Cole.”

Hutson eventually shot the puck in, scoring his first NHL goal with 25.7 seconds left in his debut Wednesday night. It capped a 4-1 victory for the Capitals over the Ottawa Senators. Before the 19-year-old Hutson contributed his first goal, 40-year-old Alex Ovechkin scored his 922nd.

On this night, however, the focus was largely on Hutson, a defenseman making the move to the pros less than a week after the end of his season at Boston University. The Capitals drafted him in the second round in 2024, and his potential arrival made it a little more palatable to trade veteran blueliner John Carlson at the deadline.

Hutson was in the starting lineup, and the Capitals controlled the puck in the offensive zone for a while.

“I was so scared,” Hutson said. “I just wanted to get out there and get off as fast as possible. We had them in the o-zone, so I couldn’t really change.”

Although he admitted to plenty of nerves, Hutson looked poised during his 16:22 of playing time. The crowd cheered whenever he did something notable. His goal technically came on the power play, because the Senators were a man short when they pulled their goalie in a last-ditch effort to catch up.

“He’s smooth with the puck,” said Capitals forward Tom Wilson, who tried to ambush Hutson with shaving cream in the locker room while reporters were interviewing him. “It’s a funny feeling when you have a first-year, first-game guy, and he’s got the puck back there and you’re just confident that he’s going to make the right play and do good things with it.”

McMichael certainly had confidence in the youngster on that rush in the final minute.

“Didn’t really want to shoot it, to be honest. I was looking to pass the whole time,” Hutson said. “I couldn’t even pass to him if (I) tried. He had no stick on the ice – wanted me to just take it all the way in, so I kind of had to.”