Washington State forward Cole Carlson made Cougar hockey history Sunday night, as he became the first player at WSU to reach 100 career points.
After surpassing graduated WSU forward Ian Gould last season, he was known as the all-time leading point scorer. Ian Gould held the record briefly with 73 total points in his four seasons with the team. However, Carlson was still in just his second season at the time, with multiple seasons still ahead of him. Given that no player has ever reached even a career 80 points before Carlson, reaching 100 is a major milestone.
“It’s all really exciting, but you know, I don’t like to take too much credit because I’ve had a lot of teammates that helped along the way, some graduated, some still here,” Carlson said.
Cole Carlson takes the puck behind net for WSU hockey against Gonzaga on Oct. 4 2025.
Carlson began his collegiate career with the Cougars in the 2023-24 season. Although he was a rookie, he was arguably the biggest star on the team. He finished his initial year as the team’s point leader, recording 38 points in 23 games. He then followed that up, with 18 goals and 22 assists the next season, registering 40 points in one less game. This performance not only solidified him as the leader of points again, but also earned him a spot in the PAC-8 all-star showcase.
Carlson has always been the point leader of this team, but he’s also been a locker room leader. With losing some players over this past offseason, Carlson was given the “C”, as he stands as the current captain of the Cougars.
“I see it as an opportunity to mentor the younger guys to try to teach them the stuff I know and the experiences I’ve had,” Carlson said.
The team has brought in depth this year as opposed to the last two seasons that Carlson has been a part of. Although their current record doesn’t show it, the team this year has proven to hang with the top contenders inside and outside the conference.
“He’s the guy that will hold everyone accountable on and off the ice and push guys to be the best they can,” WSU alternate captain Van Rayner said.
Although he is breaking records and reaching untouched milestones here in Pullman, this dedicated play all began early on in his hometown of Alberta, Canada. Carlson has played hockey since he was four years old.
“It seemed like super quickly hockey became the center of his life and everything he did revolved around it,” Cole’s dad Craig Carlson said.
Carlson has a very strong passion for hockey. Despite how much he has developed in his first few seasons here, it all stems from a much earlier era. Growing up, he spent countless hours at the rink and treated his practice time as if he were on thin ice.
Cole Carlson (24) and Van Rayner (17) skate back to the bench for WSU club hockey against Gonzaga on Oct. 3 2025.
“Cole was just one of those boys that had a strong passion for hockey and always wanted to be the best player he could be and it’s amazing to see how far he was able to take himself in the sport after the years of hard work,” Craig said.
When Carlson was making his decision on where to attend college, he saw something in Pullman that sold him. The eight-and-a-half-hour drive was worth it to Cole, when he decided to hit the ice wearing Crimson.
“The atmosphere is awesome. Everyone lives so close to each other. It makes for a really tight-knit community,” Cole said. “That’s the biggest reason I chose to come here.”
On the ice and in the locker room, Cole is known to be a role model and leader for the team. However, his leadership doesn’t just stop there. He improves his game and shows his leadership outside of the rink, even in the kitchen.
“He sets a great example of how to act off the ice, as he eats well and knows how to have fun when it’s appropriate but lock in and be serious when we need to,” Rayner said.
This season, Cole has played in all 17 of the Cougars’ games. He has registered 20 points with 11 goals, and nine assists to put his career total at 100. This includes a hat trick he recorded against Gonzaga in early October, as well as a three point performance against San Jose State to achieve the triple-digit tally. He has maintained points at a rate like no other in history at WSU, averaging a point and a half per game.
Cole looks to follow the four-game showcase that ended Monday by adding on to this historic number Friday night against Idaho. However, his focus is on helping the team succeed, as he is not prioritizing personal accolades over the team’s success by any means.
“I don’t think too much of it. It’s an exciting thing to do, but I’m just happy to contribute to the school’s team in any way I can,” Cole said.
