2024-07-24 11:13:07
BOLZANO. HCB Alto Adige Alperia officially announces that it has reached an agreement for the hiring of American defender Cole Hults for the 2024/25 season. The 26-year-old will therefore return to Bolzano, where he had already played the 2022/23 season, reaching Game 7 of the finals with the Foxes, during which he also found the goal for the provisional lead.
The HCB sports management had never hidden their desire to bring back to the red and white one of the most convincing and talented defenders seen in recent years in the capital of South Tyrol. In his first experience in Bolzano, Hults had scored 36 points in 64 games (5 goals and 31 assists), closing the regular season with an impressive plus/minus of +40, the highest figure ever since the foundation of the EBEL/ICEHL (2003/04). Later for him avintage in Slovakiawearing the Zvolen jersey, where he was the team’s best defender in terms of points and fourth in the league (9 goals and 30 assists in 60 games).
The carreer
Cole Hults grew up hockey-wise in his hometown of Madison (Wisconsin), where as a junior he managed to make a name for himself playing in the USHL until 2017, when he was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings as the 134th pick. He continued his career with Penn State University, in the NCAA, where in 111 appearances he scored 78 points (17 goals and 61 assists): on October 19, 2019 he also became the first defenseman in Penn State history to score a hat-trick. He signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Kings and in the 2020/21 season he arrived in the AHL, with the Ontario Reign farm team (19 appearances, 5 points). Following a trade the following year he then landed in the Arizona Coyotes organization: he still plays in the AHL, with the Tucson Roadrunners farm team, where he had an excellent season collecting 17 points (7 goals and 10 assists) in 54 appearances. Then his European experience began.
“I continued to follow Bolzano during the past season – says Hults –, I must say that I knew that I would have liked to come back sooner or later: losing that game 7 left a bitter taste in my mouth and I want revenge. I missed Italy, Bolzano and its fans so much: I think there is everything you need there, from the club, to the area, to the hockey culture. I want to finish the job we started two years ago, there is nothing that motivates me more: the foundations of the team have remained the same, plus there are some new additions that can make the difference. The level of the league has risen, but we have all the credentials to play for the title”.
2024-07-24 11:13:07