ST. PAUL — Filled with over 15,000 people, you could hear whispers from across Grand Casino Arena.
Team USA players, coaches and fans held their collective breaths in the middle of their 2-1 win over Switzerland in the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
With 8:59 left in the second period, top USA defenseman Cole Hutson was hit in the back of his neck on Gian Meier’s shot from the point.
Hutson hit the ice and didn’t get up.
Initially, he moved his arms and legs while lying on his back. But after he was evaluated by the Team USA training staff, a stretcher was brought onto the ice. Hutson was stabilized and carted off through the Zamboni doors after a long delay.
NHL Network’s Jon Morosi reported from ice level during the second intermission that Hutson was “conscious and alert” when he was wheeled off. Hutson was taken to a nearby hospital for further evaluation. U.S. coach Bob Motzko said during his postgame interview 30 minutes after the game ended that Hutson was released from the hospital and back with the team in the locker room.
USA’s Cole Hutson (44) is carried off the ice after an injury during the second period of a World Junior Championship hockey game against Switzerland on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.
Joe Ahlquist / Post Bulletin
“It knocks you back,” Motzko said of the injury. “The building was silent. When you see something like that when somebody gets hauled off … the good news is he’s released and he’s back with us.”
While Hutson was on the ice, Boston University teammate Cole Eiserman grabbed his hand before the medical staff reached him. Eiserman also texted Hutson’s older brother, Lane, after the game ended to give him the positive update.
“It’s obviously tough. He’s probably my best buddy,” Eiserman said. “I’m really close with him. I don’t really know what happened. I just saw him on the ice. He was saying he couldn’t really move. I grabbed his hand to make sure he could feel it and squeeze it, move his feet and stuff. Horrible to see.
“He’s the backbone. He logs the most minutes for us. Seeing one of your best friends go down like that, not knowing what’s going to happen, you kind of shut off and have blinders on. You don’t really realize you’re in a rink. It’s just me and him down there. You try to hold his hand and make sure he’s alright. I was happy to hear him talk and move.”
Hutson is in the middle of a history-making run with the Americans.
He had an emphatic showing in the 2025 WJC, scoring three goals and eight assists in seven games, leading Team USA to its second straight gold medal.
His 11 points put him in an illustrious U.S. category as he tied Luke Hughes, Zeev Buium, Jacob Trouba and Zach Werenski for the fourth-most points by a defenseman (11).
With two primary assists in Team USA’s tournament opener against Germany on Friday, Hutson moved into a tie for second with former Minnesota Wild star Ryan Suter.
Hutson, a BU sophomore and the 43rd overall pick by the Washington Capitals in 2024, is one point behind Erik Johnson, who had five goals and nine assists in 14 games during the 2006 and 2007 WJC tournaments.
“When I first kind of saw how serious it was, your heart kind of sinks,” forward Brodie Ziemer said. “It sucks. You’re obviously a little nervous. The entire bench, we care so much about him. It obviously sucks, but we’re glad to see he’s OK.”
Hutson’s scary departure leaves a big hole in the U.S. lineup. Not only was he slotted into the top defensive pairing with Minnesota Duluth’s Adam Kleber, but he also quarterbacked the top power play unit.
USA players take the ice before a World Junior Championship hockey game against Switzerland on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.
Joe Ahlquist / Post Bulletin
“It comes down to leaders like Brodie and what he was saying on the bench,” Kleber said. “It comes from Coach in the locker room saying we’re going to be in a lot of these games the rest of the tournament. Get used to it, be comfortable in these situations and stick to the details and go from there.”
The moment shell-shocked the Americans, who were leading 1-0. Switzerland tied the game 83 seconds later when Basile Sansonnens beat goaltender Nick Kempf on a shot through traffic.
It wasn’t until Will Zellers’ tournament-leading third goal from a tight angle with 5:20 left in the second period that the home crowd got back into it as fans broke out into their loudest “U-S-A” chant of the tournament.
“We’ve have so much support from the State of Hockey in this tournament,” Zellers said. “To hear the ‘U-S-A’ chant go in the middle of the game, it gives you goosebumps, for sure. It gives you a little extra motivation when you have 20,000 people who have your back. I got chills in that moment. It was a big stepping stone and a big momentum swing for us.”
Ziemer scored the game’s first goal 72 seconds into the second period. The Americans closed out their second win in dramatic fashion when Switzerland’s Lars Steiner hit the crossbar with 43.2 seconds left on a shot that deflected off of AJ Spellacy’s stick.
“We knew we were in for a tough game,” Motzko said. “They’re playing hockey the right way. They are aggressive and hard, and the game turned into that. You get in those 1-0, 2-1 games, you have to fight it out to the end. We didn’t blink. I thought we played very well tonight. Sure would’ve loved another goal, but so would they.”
Team USA is off on Sunday before its 5 p.m. game against Slovakia on Monday at GCA.
USA’s Will Horcoff (24) and James Hagens (10) race toward the puck ahead of Switzerland’s Lars Steiner (15) during the first period of a World Junior Championship hockey game Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.
Joe Ahlquist / Post Bulletin
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