Cole Hults Season 2017-18

CAREER NOTES & RECORDS

Career: Ranks first on the Penn State all-time points list for a defenseman with 78…His 17 career goals are good for second all-time by a Nittany Lion blueliner while his 61 assists also rank first for defensemen and seventh all-time...Didn't miss a game in his Nittany Lion career playing in 111 consecutive contests...His +48 career plus/minus rating is the third-best mark in program history.

Season: 2019-20: Tied the Penn State single-season record for points and goals by a defenseman with 30 and eight, respectively...His 22 assists tied for the second-most all-time by a Nittany Lion defenseman. 2018-19: His 28 points were the third most in a single-season by a Penn State blueliner while his 22 assists tied for the second-most.

Game: 2019-20: Tied the Penn State single-game record for goals by netting the eighth hat-trick in program history and the first-ever by a defenseman against Sacred Heart on opening night.

2019-20 • JUNIOR SEASON

Awards: Become Penn State's first-ever Big Ten Player of the Year while also being named the Defensive Player of the Year...Named a 2019-20 CCM/AHCA Second-Team West All-American...Named to the First-Team All-Big Ten...Named First-Team All-CHN...Voted Penn State's MVP and Top Defenseman...Two-time Big Ten Star of the Week.

Season: Skated in all 34 games registering a career-high 30 points on eight goals and 22 assists with a +23 plus/minus rating...2020 Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Tournament cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rankings: His 30 points were good for first in the Big Ten and 10th nationally among defensemen while ranking tied for ninth among all players in the Big Ten...His eight goals were a new career-high and paced the Big Ten for blueliners while his 22 assists also ranked tops among conference defensemen...Paced the entire Big Ten and ranked sixth nationally with a +23 plus/minus rating...Led the Big Ten with 17 assists in 24 league games while his 21 points in those contests was good for seventh.

Sacred Heart (10/11): Had three goals, including the game winner, to register the eighth Penn State hat trick and become the first defenseman with that accolade in program history. Sacred Heart (10/12): Recorded one goal and one assist to secure the opening series sweep with a 5-4 victory. Wisconsin (10/31-11/1): Added three assists between the two games during the weekend sweep. Michigan State (11/9): Tallied an assist in a 6-4 victory. at Minnesota (11/15): Had an assist in an 8-2 victory. Ohio State (11/22): Recorded a pair of assists in a 5-4 win. at Michigan (12/7): Added an assist in a 3-1 victory. at Notre Dame (12/13): Collected a pair of assists in the 4-2 triumph. Niagara (1/3-4): Recorded an assist in each game during a series sweep. at Robert Morris (1/11): Added an assist in a 6-2 victory at PPG Paints Arena. Michigan (1/18): Tallied an assist in a 4-4 tie. at Michigan State (1/24-25): Registered a goal and an assist in a 4-2 loss on Friday followed by a pair of assists, including the primary assist on the game-winning goal, in a 2-1 overtime win on Saturday. at Ohio State (2/7-8): Scored a goal in a 2-2 tie on Friday night followed by a goal and an assist to lead the team to a 6-3 victory on Saturday night. at Wisconsin (2/14-15): Collected an assist on Friday and followed it up with a goal in a 3-2 win on Saturday. Minnesota (2/22): Added an assist in the 3-2 comeback victory.

2018-19 • SOPHOMORE SEASON

Awards: Named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection...Voted Penn State's Top Defenseman.

Season: Skated in all 39 games...Registered a career-year with six goals and 22 assists for 28 points, the third most by a Penn State blue-liner in a single-season in program history.

Rankings: Ranked third in the Big Ten for defensemen with his 28 points...Finished the season plus-19, which was the second-best mark for a defenseman in the Big Ten...Blocked 68 shots to rank ninth in the Big Ten.

Niagara (10/19): Recorded an assist during an 8-2 victory. No. 13 Princeton (10/26): Added an assist in a 4-2 win. Arizona State (11/2): Tallied one assist in a 6-5 win. Robert Morris (11/9-11/10): Collected two assists in game one and tied a career-high with a total of three points (1G, 2A) in game two of a weekend sweep. at No. 5 Ohio State (11/23): Recorded one goal and one assist in a 4-3 victory. at Wisconsin (11/30): Registered one assist in a shootout win. No. 5 Notre Dame (12/7): Recorded a pair of points with one goal and one assist in a 5-4 loss. Michigan State (1/12): Tallied one assist in game two of a weekend split. No. 4 Ohio State (1/18-1/19): Added one assist in each game of a weekend series. at Michigan (1/24): Assisted on a goal in game one of a weekend split. Minnesota (2/8-2/9): Scored one goal and registered one assist in a weekend sweep. at Michigan State (2/15): Tallied two assists in game one of a weekend split. Wisconsin (2/22): Notched one goal along with two assists in an 8-2 victory. at Notre Dame (3/1): Registered two assists in a 5-4 overtime loss. Wisconsin (3/8-3/10): Tallied one assist in game one and scored one goal in game three of the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals.

2017-18 • FRESHMAN SEASON

Season: Skated in all 38 games...Scored three goals and adding 17 assists for a total of 20 points.

at No. 7 Minnesota (10/13-10/15): Recorded his first career point with an assist in a 3-1 victory in game one before adding another assist in game two of a series split. AIC (10/19): Scored his first career goal and tallied an assist for two points in a 7-5 win before adding another goal in game two of a series split. Michigan (10/27-10/28): Tallied an assist in each game of a weekend split. Mercyhurst (11/3-11/4): Recorded a pair of assists in each game of a weekend split. at No. 11 Ohio State (12/2): Registered an assist during a 4-0 victory. Robert Morris (12/9): Collected a pair of assists during a 7-4 victory. No. 15 Wisconsin (1/5): Tallied an assist during a 5-1 victory. at No. 18 Wisconsin (1/26): Assisted on a goal in a 4-2 loss. at Michigan State (2/16): Chipped in an assist during a 4-2 loss. No. 8 Minnesota (2/24): Tallied a pair of assists in a 5-2 victory. No. 11 Minnesota (3/2): Notched a goal in game one of a weekend sweep during the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals.

BEFORE PENN STATE
Drafted in the fifth round (134th overall) by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft …Played three seasons with the Madison Capitols of the United States Hockey League...Led the team with 32 points on six goals and 26 assists in 59 games in 2016-17…Finished the 2016-17 campaign sixth in the USHL for defensemen scoring…Skated in 122 total games for Madison over three seasons registering 42 points on six goals and 36 assists.

PERSONAL
Cole Bradley Hults...Son of Sheri and Brad Hults...Has two older brothers Matt and Mitch...His brother Mitch played at Lake Superior State and signed a free agent contract with the Anaheim Ducks following his junior season...Majoring in recreation park and tourism management...Born on May 22, 1998 in Madison, Wisconsin.

HULTS ON PENN STATE
“I chose Penn State because when I went on my visit it had everything I wanted in a college from an academic and athletic standpoint.”

GADOWSKY ON HULTS
“Cole is a tough, strong skating defenseman who put up impressive offensive numbers in the USHL.  He has a good shot from the point and will help us at both ends of the ice.”