So far, the decision has paid off for both Hults and the Capitols. Through 18 games, Hults has found his offensive touch again, posting 10 points, tying him for sixth in scoring in the USHL for defensemen. Hults is second on the Capitols in assists (8) and has notched six points over his last eight games. His physical play has also turned heads as he leads the Capitols in penalty minutes with 45.
“It’s kind of a battle having to deal with school and hockey,” Hults said. “Now that I’m graduated and playing this year in Madison it’s going a lot smoother. I’m a veteran in the league. I’m playing a lot of minutes, which is nice. I kind of just taking on a leadership role. It has happened so fast (becoming a leader). Last year I was looking up to the older guys and now it’s the next year. It’s kind of weird because I was always used to being the young kid. I try to show the younger guys the ropes. Going from high school to junior hockey is tough; those are some long days. It’s a mental thing. You have to keep in check with yourself and take it one step at a time; just relax and keep working.”
“I thought it was a great decision for him to come back and I thought it took a lot of maturity for him to make that decision,” Suter said. “The sky is the limit for Cole. With his size and skill and the way he sees the game, he has unlimited potential. Last year, I don’t think he got the opportunity he should have gotten and probably wasn’t put in the best position. That was just that coach’s decision and a different way of doing things. Cole is a leader. The way he has responded, it just goes to show you that if you give a kid the opportunity and believe in him just a little bit, it just shows what that does for a kid’s confidence, both in his game on the ice and his leadership off the ice. It was a great decision for him to come back and have that this type of year where he gets all of those game opportunities. Even more than wins and losses, I’m really happy for him as a kid. With the type of experience he has gotten on the ice this year he’ll be able to move onto the college game and be able to step in right way.”
For Hults, that is the pot at the end of the rainbow. Enjoy the present and look forward to the future.
“For me I just want to be a good leader,” Hults said. “That’s one of the reasons why I came back, to get that sense of what it’s like to be a leader. In addition to that, a goal for me and the team is making the playoffs. It can be a long year if you aren’t winning during the season. We have a young team. We have to realize that and it’s going to take some time for the younger guys to figure it out. We’ll get through it by taking it game by game.”
Sounds like a leader to me.
Andrew Vitalis can be reached at lphprep@yahoo.com
