First it was the Tkachuk household, then it was the Hughes household… and now you can add the Hutsons into the mix. All families where the sons play for different NHL teams, and the battle lines get blurred. Of course, not everyone can be as lucky as the Sedins in this respect. But the Hutsons have a bit of breathing room with their third son, Cole Hutson, a Capitals prospect, still at university. But nonetheless, with his brother, Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens, all set to face off against the Caps in a matter of hours, the battle lines are once again smudged.

So who to support, your brother’s team or your own future team? Well, their father, Rob Hutson, had the answer during an appearance on The Sick Podcast with Grant McCagg and Shayne Gaumond. When asked this question by McCagg, Rob jokingly replied with, “Well, I’ll tell you, Cole and Quinn will be in Montreal on Friday and Sunday, so if they want their seats that their brother’s paying for, they better be cheering for him, which I’m sure they are,” amidst laughter from McCagg and Gaumond.

McCagg then brought up how Cole probably understood why the family would be bleeding red, blue, and white this time despite his connection to the Capitals. “Yeah, and that’s one of the nicer things we don’t have to deal with this season. The boys battling it out against each other,” said Rob. However, he also added, “I mean, it’s definitely exciting.”

But for Cole himself? Well, he has already carved out his name as one of the Capitals’ most exciting young prospects. Cole Hutson, the Boston University star and Hockey East Rookie of the Year winner, was the second round, 43rd overall pick by the Caps during the 2024 NHL Draft. And he has some top notch accolades to his name—he led all NCAA freshmen and rookies with his 48 points this season, won the Tim Taylor National Rookie of the Year award, the title of New England Rookie of the Year, and the New England Top Defenseman Award, to name a few.

After all, it’s his offensive vision and skating that made him an important piece of the Caps’ future. However, with Lane already stepping into the playoffs spotlight, it’s a moment of pride for the entire Hutson family. But Cole’s NHL debut is still at least a year away.

When can we expect to see Cole Hutson play in the NHL?

Well, those waiting for Cole Hutson’s NHL debut will have to wait longer, with the young star building a stellar resume at the collegiate level. Though it was rumored that Hutson was leaning towards spending another year in college, he confirmed the news himself on Friday with an announcement on his Instagram page.

He captioned the post with, “Grateful for everything @terrierhockey has given me on and off the ice, The Fans, The @bu_dogpound , My Teammates, My Coaches and memories for a life time. It’s time to chase an opportunity I’ve dreamed about my whole life…. Another Chance to win a National Championship.”

It’s not entirely surprising, as sticking on for another year will only help him refine his defensive play and perhaps improve on his physical maturity. After all, the delayed debut worked well for defensemen like Adam Fantilli, Zach Werenski, and Luke Hughes. And not only this. Hutson’s season ended on a sour note with BU too, when his team fell 6-2 to Western Michigan in the NCAA championship game. So it’s no surprise that Hutson is sticking around for another shot at collegiate glory.

With his commitment to BU confirmed, he can support his brother with little conflict of interest. In just a few hours, he’ll be doing just that as the Capitals take on the Canadiens at the Capital One Arena for Game 1.