Star American defenceman Cole Hutson had to be stretchered off the ice after taking a puck to the head in the second period of Saturday's game against Switzerland at the world juniors.
Hutson was skating in front of the U.S. net when he was hit by a point shot from Gian Meier. The 19-year-old immediately went down to the ice and was tended to by Team USA training staff.
Per NHL Media's Jon Morosi, Hutson has been discharged from the hospital after undergoing evaluation, and his status for the remainder of the tournament will be decided on Sunday.
A second-round pick of the Washington Capitals in 2024, Hutson had logged 8:13 of ice time before exiting and had one shot on goal. In the USA's tournament-opening win on Friday, he had two assists and registered a plus-5 rating in 24:20 of action.
Hutson is in his second season at Boston University, where he has seven goals and 13 assists in 18 games.
The younger brother of Montreal Canadiens standout Lane Hutson, Cole led all NCAA rookies in points and assists in 2024-25 and was named the top freshman in Division 1.
Hutson also starred at last year's world juniors, leading the tournament in points (three goals, eight assists) as the Americans took home the gold medal.
