Cole Hutson was back with Team USA and is listed as day-to-day.

During the second period in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Switzerland at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships, Hutson was hit in the back of the neck with a shot. He was stretchered off the ice and sent to the hospital.

United States defenseman Cole Hutson, bottom, is looked at by medical staff after sustaining an injury as members of the United States team look on during the second period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship game against Switzerland, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

U.S. coach Bob Motzko told the media on Sunday afternoon that Hutson rejoined the team about 30 minutes after the game ended. Hutson was at the Team USA practice but did not skate on Sunday afternoon at TRIA Rink in St. Paul.

“He’s back with us. He had a smile on his face this morning when he got on the bus,” Motzko said. “We’ll talk with the medical people and go day-to-day.”

U.S. players and coaches remain optimistic that Hutson will return to the lineup before the end of the tournament.

“We’re all scared. We talked about it last night,” Motzko said. “You don’t know what’s going on. He got looked at and was cleared to get back over here. Now it’s just day-to-day, and hopefully we get him back.”

Boston University teammate Cole Eiserman said he has been texting with Terriers head coach Jay Pandolfo over the last 24 hours about the injury. When Hutson was motionless on the ice, Eiserman was photographed by Getty photographer David Berding holding Hutson’s hand.

“I wasn’t really a hockey player in that moment,” Eiserman said.

“I’ve known Hutty since he was ‘Little Hutty.’ He’s been the same kid and guy since we were 7 years old, 8 years old, before we could even start playing AAA. It’s been a long friendship that’s been growing and growing and growing. He’s one of my best friends for life.”

Hutson is one of the most prolific WJC defenders in American history. He has three goals and 11 assists in nine WJC games over two years and tied with Ryan Suter for the second-most points by an American defenseman in WJC play.

Hutson has also had a prolific college career at BU.

The 5-foot-11, 172-pound, 43rd-overall pick by the Washington Capitals in 2024 had 14 goals and 34 assists for the Terriers in 2024-25. He has seven goals and 13 assists so far in his sophomore season.

“He’s one of the best defensemen in the world,” Motzko said. “That’s sports, man, it’s part of sports. The next guy’s got to step up. Everyone has to carry their weight as we trudge through this until we get him back in there.

“Tight group. They’re going to roll on. I think the fact that he’s back with us is a relief. We’re not worried about anything else. These are athletes, highly trained. He’s going to be inspirational to the guys.”

Hutson is a North Barrington, Ill., native who played in the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2022-24. He helped the U.S. earn its second consecutive gold medal at the 2025 WJC in Ottawa.

Motzko said that Hutson’s positive injury developments could provide a boost to the U.S. as it heads into its third preliminary game at 5 p.m. Monday against Slovakia.

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At nearly every level of hockey, the puck is the same size, and the net is the same size, meaning that a goaltender’s job isn’t all that different from squirts to the NHL.

Minnesota Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt (30) photographed at Wild Media Day at TRIA Rink in downtown St. Paul on Wednesday, Sept., 20 2023. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Still, pro goalies like Wild rookie Jesper Wallstedt have myriad resources at their disposal in terms of video and other scouting reports to help them learn opponents’ tendencies. After besting the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday for the second time this season, Wallstedt said the resources are nice, but sometimes you’re better off not knowing too much.

Asked how much he had scouted the Jets’ dangerous top line, Wallstedt had a bit of an unexpected reply.

“Maybe a little bit, but not as much as some think,” Wallstadt said after earning his 11th win of the season. “I like going out there with a clean slate and not knowing, really — just play off my reads and try to make saves according to that.”

Describing his goaltending style, Wallstedt made it sound as if he had taken the catcher’s advice from the movie “Bull Durham” to heart: “Don’t think, it can only hurt the ballclub.”

“I think sometimes when I don’t think too much and know too much, I usually make better reads than if I’m trying to predict stuff,” he said.

Wallstedt lost to Winnipeg in one of his rare starts last season. This time around he has a shutout and an overtime win in Winnipeg on his resume.

“I remember last year, I lost a big game to them. And this year it’s been better, at least,” Wallstedt said after making 23 saves to beat the Jets. “Maybe I work through traffic. They get a lot of pucks to the net with tips and screens, but I felt like this year I’ve been doing a good job with that. Maybe there’s something in that.”

It appears so. After Saturday’s win, Wallstedt (11-2-2) was tied for third in the NHL in goals-against average (2.16) and No. 1 in save percentage at .933.

Minor moves

After the blockbuster trade for Quinn Hughes this month, many have speculated the Wild are not done making moves, that a trade for a forward may still be coming.

On Sunday the Wild made a move for a forward, but it won’t affect the NHL club just yet. Minnesota sent forward Mikey Milne to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Boris Katchouk, who will report to the Iowa Wild.

Katchouk, 27, has skated in three games with Tampa Bay this season and has 10 points (4-6–10) in 21 games with the Lightning’s AHL affiliate. A native of Vancouver, Katchouk has 36 points (15-21–36) 179 career NHL games with Tampa Bay, Chicago and Ottawa.

Milne, 23, made his NHL debut with the Wild last season, getting in one game at the big-league level.

The Wild also reassigned defenseman David Jiricek to Iowa on Sunday. Jiricek has played in 18 games for Minnesota this season without recording a point.

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Cole Reschny just finished his press conference Saturday at the World Junior Championship and began walking back to Canada’s locker room.

He paused at a television in the hallway between Mariucci Arena and Ridder Arena to glance at the USA-Switzerland game.

Right at that moment, Will Zellers sniped the corner of the net from a bad angle for his third goal of the tournament.

“Not surprised,” said Reschny, who is playing for Team Canada.

Through the first two days of the World Juniors, UND’s players — current and future — have made their marks.

Zellers is the tournament’s leading goal-scorer with three goals in two games. He’s second in points.

Reschny has a goal and an assist for Canada, while winning 69% of his faceoffs. Only four Canadians have more points than Reschny right now.

One of those players is Canadian defenseman Ethan MacKenzie, who will be in Grand Forks next year. MacKenzie has three points for Canada. He’s second in the World Juniors in defenseman scoring.

Zellers has scored the game-winning goal in both of Team USA’s victories.

MacKenzie scored Canada’s game-winning goal against Czechia, and Reschny’s goal was two minutes from being Canada’s winner on Saturday.

“Right now, I’m loving it, because I don’t have to play him right now,” Zellers said of Reschny’s success. “I love Cole. He’s such a pro player, such a good 200-foot game. It’s always nice seeing North Dakota guys get rewarded like that.”

UND defenseman E.J. Emery was scratched in the opener, but entered the lineup Saturday against Switzerland.

After star USA defenseman Cole Hutson of Boston University left with an injury, Emery’s shifts increased. He helped shore up USA’s defense, which allowed three goals to Germany on Friday.

The Americans beat the Swiss 2-1.

“I’m so happy,” Zellers said of Emery’s game against the Swiss. “He’s one of my closest friends at North Dakota. It’s always nice to see a North Dakota player go out there and make an impact on the game like he does. He’s such a heavy presence on the defensive end. He’s such a good killer. It’s always nice to have him and that reassurance.”

UND goalie commit Caleb Heil earned a victory in Team USA’s opener against Germany. UND’s other representative at the World Juniors, Canadian defenseman Keaton Verhoeff, has yet to play.

The Canadians play Denmark at 7:30 p.m. Monday in Minneapolis’ 3M Arena at Mariucci.

The Americans play Slovakia at 5 p.m. Monday in St. Paul’s Grand Casino Arena — a place where Zellers has thrived this season.

Zellers did not play at the rink in high school, but he’s played three games there this season. He scored his first collegiate goal against St. Thomas in Grand Casino Arena in October. He scored twice against Germany on Friday and once against Switzerland on Saturday.

“It’s been a lot of fun playing here against St. Thomas and now at the World Juniors,” Zellers said. “I’m a fan of this barn.”

Canada’s Cole Reschny (21) celevbrates in front of Latvia goaltender Nils Maurins (30) after Canada defeated Latvia in overtime of an IIHF World Junior Championship hockey game in Minneapolis on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

World Junior Hockey Championship games scheduled for Sunday will proceed as scheduled today, the organizaing committee announced this afternoon.

Sweden will face Switzerland at 1 p.m. at Grand Casino Arena, and Finland will take on Latvia at 3:30 p.m. at 3M Arena at Mariucci, despite today’s weather advisories, in the third day of preliminary round competition.

However, the outdoor portion of the Bold North Breakaway Fan Festival in St. Paul’s Rice Park will close at 1:30 p.m. today. Regularly scheduled hours will resume on Monday.

The indoor fan festival will continue as scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the upper level of the Saint Paul RiverCentre.