Written by Maria Kaczmarkek
For Rob Hutson, watching his sons, Lane and Cole, compete against each other in the NHL meant seeing two sides of the same family story unfold. Lane had established himself as a star defenseman for the Montreal Canadiens, while Cole was beginning his own NHL career with the Washington Capitals. For the first time, their shared love of hockey put them on opposite sides of the ice.
“I haven't really had time to know what it's going to be like, right?” Rob told NHL.com before their Oct. 14 matchup. “This might be the only hockey game I go to where I don't feel like I won, and I'm going home a winner.”
The game was a milestone for the Hutson family, but the relationship behind it was built over years of competing, learning, and supporting one another. For Lane and Cole, rivalry has never meant putting their brotherhood aside.
The brothers grew up playing hockey together, training alongside their siblings and pushing each other to improve. Their father, Rob, runs Hutson Pro Hockey Academy in Illinois, where all four brothers train during the offseason. Those sessions can get intense. Cole has described the brothers fighting during summer training, and Rob has admitted to breaking up his share of arguments.
“We want each other to do better and sometimes that leads to fighting,” Cole told NHL.com.
That competitiveness, Rob explained, is one of the brothers’ strengths. They challenge one another because they want to see each other succeed. Even when a training session gets heated, the goal is to come away better than before.
Away from the rink, that same drive to improve is matched by a willingness to support each other. Although their careers have taken them in different directions, Lane and Cole continue to share advice and talk through their experiences. They often call each other after games, especially when one feels he has not played well.
“With all of us, we support each other and be there for one another, even more when maybe things aren't going right,” Lane said in an NHL Players’ Association feature.
That support became particularly important as Cole navigated college hockey at Boston University before making the jump to the NHL. Lane, also a BU graduate, had already gone through that transition, giving his younger brother someone who understood the pressure and uncertainty that came with it.
Cole has described leaning on Lane for advice after difficult games while trying to offer the same support in return. Their relationship is not about one brother always having the answers. It is about knowing the other understands what it takes to keep going when things are not going as planned.
Their personalities are as different as their playing styles. Cole has described himself as more outgoing, while Lane is quieter and more focused on his own work. On the ice, Cole is more physical and shoots more often, while Lane relies on quick reactions and his ability to read the play. Lane has also represented the United States at the World Junior Championship, adding international experience to his growing hockey résumé They have developed their own identities, but they still share a perspective few teammates can offer: they know each other’s game better than almost anyone.
That familiarity added another layer to their first NHL meeting. Before the game, Lane said he was proud of Cole’s early success and was not surprised by how well his younger brother had adjusted to the professional level. Cole, meanwhile, was eager to help Washington win. Their support for one another did not take away from their desire to compete.
As the brothers’ first game as opponents approached, Rob expected the losing brother to be unhappy, even if the disappointment eventually passed. From experience, he also knew the result would likely become another source of sibling bragging rights until their next meeting. But for Rob and his wife, Julie, the significance went beyond which team won.
The Hutsons are part of a long tradition of NHL families, including the Hughes and Staal brothers. Yet Lane and Cole’s story is still unfolding. With both building their professional careers, their first matchup was not the conclusion of a lifelong rivalry but the beginning of a new chapter.
When the brothers meet again, each will want to win while still wanting to see the other succeed. They will continue challenging each other, exchanging advice, and celebrating each other’s progress. The competition may give them something new to argue about, but it will not change the foundation of their relationship.
For the Hutsons, being opponents for a game does not mean being any less of a family. It means two brothers have reached the NHL together and can keep pushing each other forward, even from opposite sides of the ice.
