Capitals prospect Cole Hutson was named the winner of the 2025 Tim Taylor Award on Friday evening. The award is college hockey’s Rookie of the Year honor, awarded annually to the top NCAA men’s ice hockey freshman.
Hutson is the sixth winner of the award from Boston University, the last being Macklin Celebrini in 2024. The 18 past winners include plenty of successful NHL players, including Celebrini, Adam Fantilli, Clayton Keller, Kyle Connor, and Jack Eichel.
Hutson wins the award despite still having one game left to play this season on Saturday night. After Hutson helped push the Terriers to a 3-1 win over Penn State in the Frozen Four on Thursday night, BU and Western Michigan are set to face off for the national championship.
“What an honor it is to be selected for this award,” Hutson said in his acceptance speech. “First things off, I want to thank the Hockey Commissioners Association, my teammates, my family, and everybody else who helped me along the way. I got a chance to play in a national title game tomorrow, and I couldn’t do it without everyone who helped me along the way, so thank you.”
Hutson has seven points (2g, 5a) in his three NCAA Tournament games for the Terriers this year and 47 points (14g, 33a) in 38 total games this season. He holds a five-point lead in scoring among freshmen this year and a 22-point lead over the next freshman defenseman.
The honors didn’t stop there for Hutson, though, as he was also named to the NCAA’s First-Team All America East. He was joined by fellow Washington Capitals prospect Ryan Leonard on the six-man team.
Hutson was the lone freshman selected out of the 24 East/West First and Second-Team players.
Leonard was also in attendance at the award show in St. Louis, Missouri, as he was up for the Hobey Baker Award for the top NCAA men’s ice hockey player. The 20-year-old winger ultimately lost out to Michigan State’s Isaac Howard.
Leonard finished his college career with 109 points (61g, 48a) in 78 total NCAA games before making his NHL debut with the Capitals last week.
