He’s got a lot of work ahead of him, but to see this today, it was absolutely awesome.”Ĭarlson remembered recruiting Colton out of Robbinsville. I always thought he had a real good shot at it, with his work ethic and his character and his ability.
“It’s such a hard league to even play one game.
“I’m just really happy and so proud of him,” Carlson said. He smiled, thinking about how if Colton wanted to score goals at this level, he’d have to crash high-traffic areas like the crease. So Carlson, on a scouting trip for the USHL’s Roughriders, pulled over to the side of the road to watch it. Another friend sent Carlson a video clip of the goal. Mark Carlson was in his SUV driving on Highway 80 from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Detroit Wednesday evening when his phone started to blow up. “Hopefully,” Cooper said, “It’ll be the first of many.” And another smiled as he saw Colton’s goal from his home in Syracuse. Another pulled off the road on an eight-hour drive to watch the replay. One got a call while cleaning up at a rink in Burlington, Vermont. Word of Colton’s milestone, game-winning goal spread to those coaches who were the biggest influences in his path. Colton’s grandmother, whom he calls “Nina,” started to cry. He pumped his fists, then jumped into the arms of the 6-foot-6 Hedman. When Colton scored, the huge smile on his face said it all. None of them have seen Colton since the summer, partly due to the league’s strict COVID protocols, but they were all in section 115 at Amalie Arena, masks on, to witness the night of his life.Ĭolton, on his second shift, saw Victor Hedman charge hard behind the net with the puck, and thought back to what he’s been taught since he was a kid. Colton’s older brother, Rob, joined a couple other buddies, Conrad and Evan, who came in from New York, and cousin Mike, who lives in Tampa. “But we weren’t going to miss it.”īy that night, the Colton clan had all booked flights to Tampa, with Rob and Kelly making sure to bring Colton’s 83-year-old grandmother, Patricia, his biggest fan. “It caught us all by surprise,” Rob Colton said. “Tell your family.”Ĭolton tried to call his father, Rob, a middle school history teacher, but he couldn’t get through.
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