Hutson brothers have BU chasing history at another Frozen Four

College Sports

“They are excited and genuinely so happy and proud of each other in their achievements. But they’re also competitive and that competition breeds a better product. If Lane does something great, Cole wants to do something great.”

By Andrew Mahoney, The Boston Globe

April 9, 2025 | 8:53 AM

4 minutes to read

The plan was to interview the Hutson brothers side-by-side after a recent practice as the Boston University men’s hockey team prepared for another trip to the Frozen Four. While younger brother Cole was still out on the ice, though, Quinn was ready to go.

The subject turns to sibling rivalry — not just between Quinn and Cole, but also their brother, Lane, making his case for NHL rookie of the year with the Canadiens, as well as 16-year-old Lars, who is skating for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL. The two-on-two battles could get pretty intense growing up.

“It’s even more competitive right now,” said Quinn. “I’m not really a big fan of Cole right now. We were going at it on the ice.”

Soon after, Cole emerges from the locker room.

“To be honest, me and Quinn were going at it today on the ice,” he weighs in without any prompting. “I’m kind of really not happy with him right now, so he better hope he’s on my team in practice tomorrow.”

The comment is delivered with a smirk. The two have decided to take the good-natured chirping from the ice to the interview.

They’re having fun, and why not? The Terriers are in St. Louis for their third consecutive trip to the Frozen Four, and the Hutsons are a big reason why.

Quinn, a junior forward, leads the team with 50 points and is tied for the lead with 23 goals. Cole, a freshman defenseman, is second with 46 points and a team-high 32 assists.

Both found the back of the net in the 3-2 overtime win over Cornell in the regional final in Toledo, Ohio. Cole’s highlight-reel goal in the opening minute of the third period came on the power play, and came after he watched video of Cornell’s penalty kill between periods.

“He just has a confidence about him,” said coach Jay Pandolfo. “He wants the puck on his stick. He just saw something that maybe we could expose against their penalty kill.

“He’s really competitive. He sees the game really well, not only on video but when he’s playing. He uses his instincts.”

Quinn scored the overtime winner to send BU to St. Louis, where it will face Penn State on Thursday following the conclusion of Denver vs. Western Michigan, which begins at 5 p.m. Both games will air on ESPN2.

While Cole (Capitals) and Lane (Canadiens) were both second-round draft picks, Quinn went undrafted. His numbers have improved each of his three seasons, and he cleared 100 points at BU earlier this year.

“He’s come a long way as a player for us,” said Pandolfo. “He’s always had the ability to score. He can really shoot and put the puck in the net, but he’s rounded out the rest of his game. He’s a real good defensive player for us now.

“I think he’s shown NHL teams, they’re certainly going to have interest in him. He’s going to find his way on an NHL roster at some point and get an NHL contract. He deserves it. He’s earned it, he’s worked at it, and it’s a credit to him.”

The family’s success stems in part from the heated battles growing up in North Barrington, Ill., and playing for their father, Rob. Also, in the way they support each other.

“Most parents probably say this about their kids, but they’re exceptionally close,” said Rob. “They are excited and genuinely so happy and proud of each other in their achievements. But they’re also competitive and that competition breeds a better product. If Lane does something great, Cole wants to do something great. And if one of them is having a good week, the likelihood is the rest of them are having a good week.”

While all four started as defensemen, Quinn made the move to forward when his youth team needed more offense. He got the scoring bug and never moved back.

Cole had the unenviable task of following in Lane’s footsteps, playing the same position and stepping in as a freshman when the two-time All-American signed with Montreal following his sophomore season last spring.

“It was definitely a lot of pressure. Lane was one of the best defensemen to ever come through here,” said Cole. “It was definitely a high standard for me.”

Adding to the pressure was mononucleosis. Cole contracted it over the summer and spent most of the first semester working his way back.

“No one knew about it. As a family, we kind of just kept it quiet,” said Rob. “The coaches understood, but no one else knew. People are like, ‘Oh, this kid’s supposed to be like Lane,’ and he’s in a rough part of his season.”

Cole started to find his game in time for the world juniors, where he posted three goals and eight assists as the US took home the gold medal. He came back to campus for second semester, he said, with “another level of swagger.”

After posting two goals and two assists in a win over Harvard in the Beanpot opener, Cole joked about winning the championship game so he could hold it over Lane’s head. He backed it up, scoring the game-winner against Boston College to earn tournament MVP with Lane in attendance.

“It’s all jokes for the most part,” said Cole. “I also say it because it holds me to that standard, I think. It gets me to the point where, now we have to go win, or I’ll look like an idiot for saying that.”

Next comes getting past Thursday, where Lane’s two Frozen Four teams fell short. That would mean BU’s first title-game appearance since 2015, and a shot at the Terriers’ first NCAA title since 2009.

“It’s super cool, obviously,” said Quinn. “I’m going to have to decide at the end of the year which brother was better to play with so far. I think it’s pretty close right now, but if we go pretty far in this thing, Cole’s obviously going to have to take the win.”