But if you’re itching to see Cole in a Capitals jersey… better keep those dreams on ice for a minute. Hutson just dropped the news himself on Insta, thanking his BU fam with the most wholesome vibes, saying he’s staying another year to chase that national championship dream. Honestly, it’s smart — another season to level up, get even sharper, and come back even scarier. Still, Washington fans might be feeling just a little salty, especially with Cole throwing some love at the Habs side of things. Yep, you heard it—Washington Capitals’ draft pick lowkey ditched NHL dreams for now while keeping it 100 with a little Montreal confession.

In a video shared by Mike Bartner, the hockey world got a real treat when Washington Capitals’ shiny new draft pick Cole Hutson got put in the hot seat. Mike didn’t hold back, diving right in with, “I have to ask you this I’m sure you’ve been asked this multiple times… Capitals versus Canadienns who are you rooting for in this first round matchup brother versus team that drafts you…”—classic, right? Mike even threw Cole a lifeline, telling him to feel free to give a “PR answer of just you hope both teams stay healthy and have fun,” but nah, Cole kept it straight-up real.

He smiled and dropped the most brotherly answer ever, saying, “yeah I mean I feel like I’ll be cheering for I mean I’m going to be sitting in Lane’s seat so I’ll probably be up on my feet when both teams score to be honest. Obviously I’ll cheer for Lane a bit more than Capitals” Literal heart-melt moment. But don’t get it twisted — Cole’s dream is still all Capitals. He went on, but made sure to add that he hopes to “be in the Capital seat in a few years.”

Manifesting in real time, folks. And just when you thought it couldn’t get more feel-good, Cole dropped the ultimate sibling flex for the future, saying that if they ever meet again in playoffs, “I hope both my parents are rooting for me”—and with the biggest confident grin, he threw in the promise every Caps fan wanted to hear: “we’ll take them down for sure.” Goosebumps, right?

And well, even though the Caps’ shiny new draft pick was busy cheering on the Canadiens from Lane’s seat, the Capitals were out there doing Capital things. Brandon Duhaime popped off with not one but two goals in a wild four-goal explosion during the third period, helping Washington storm back for a huge 5-2 dub at Bell Centre on Sunday. Now they’re sitting pretty, leading the series 3-1, just one win away from dancing into Round 2 on home ice. Dylan Strome stayed cooking with a goal and an assist, Andrew Mangiapane buried the go-ahead beauty late in the third, and Logan Thompson stood tall with 16 saves after battling back from an injury scare in Game 3.

Cole’s brother Lane did his part by recording an assist alongside Ivan Demidov while Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield scored a power play goal each. Jakub Dobes also did what he could with 21 saves in the game. Caufield’s one-timer gave the Habs a second-period lead, but it all unraveled fast after a crazy rebound goal by Duhaime, a massive hit by Tom Wilson, and a whole lotta Caps momentum. Empty netters by Duhaime and Wilson iced it like a cake, and just like that, Washington walked out with the last laugh while the Canadiens were left wondering where it all slipped away.

But coming back to the Hutsons again, Cole was not the only one in the family who was put on the hot seat recently.

Washington Capitals’ draft did not have a choice

First it was the Tkachuks stirring the pot, then the Hughes bros making holidays real interesting… and now? Yup, the Hutsons are sliding into the chat. Another family where the jersey colors get all kinds of tangled. Not everyone gets the lucky Sedin setup—same team, easy cheering—but the Hutsons aren’t sweating it. Because they, particularly Papa Hutson, have got their priorities sorted.

When the whole “who do you cheer for” drama came up, Papa Rob Hutson didn’t even blink—dropped straight fire on The Sick Podcast. Basically said, between chuckles, if Cole and Quinn wanted those sweet seats Lane’s paying for, they better root for the root for the Canadian outfit. “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.” Not just Cole, but the oldest of the three Hutson brothers, and recent Edmonton Oilers signee, also had to cheer for the Canadiens.

Rob joked it’s nice they’re not clashing helmet-to-helmet yet, but you could hear that proud-dad glow shining through every word. Honestly? Just straight-up wholesome chaos. “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. I mean, it’s definitely exciting.” How excited are you by the possibility of the Hutson brothers clashing in the NHL? Let us know in the comments.