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Lane Hutson
Lane Hutson (born February 14, 2004) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 62nd overall, by the Canadiens in the 2022 NHL entry draft. Playing careerEarly yearsHutson first joined USA Hockey's National Team Development Program (NTDP) for the 2020–21 season, enjoying success at that level. Team strength and conditioning personnel initially worked to address his diminutive frame, and he gained 10 pounds (4.5 kg) between joining the program and into the 2022 offseason.[1] Over the course of his first NHL draft-eligible season, Hutson became a subject of considerable debate among scouts and evaluators with respect to his suitability for the National Hockey League (NHL). Being only 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) and 150 lb (68 kg) at the time of the 2022 NHL entry draft, both figures uncommon among NHL defensemen at the time, many believed he would be unable to translate to the professional game effectively, despite widespread praise for his skill and hockey intelligence.[2] Sportsnet's draft expert Sam Cosentino remarked "if Hutson was 5-foot-10 today, he would be projected to go inside the top 15 picks of this draft."[1] Seeking to allay concerns with respect to his size, Hutson arrived at the NHL scouting combine with an endocrinologist report indicating "his bone age is delayed relative to his biological age, which means his frame still has more than a full year of additional bone growth to go."[1] At the foregoing draft held at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Hutson received the E. J. McGuire Award of Excellence, awarded by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau to the player who "best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness, and athleticism."[3] He was selected in the second round, 62nd overall, by the host Montreal Canadiens.[4] CollegiateHutson committed to play collegiately for Boston University (BU) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) beginning in the 2022–23 season.[5] During his freshman year, he recorded nine goals and a league-high 25 assists in 24 Hockey East games, becoming the first defenseman to ever lead the conference in scoring. Following an outstanding season, he was named a unanimous addition to both the All-Hockey East First Team and All-Hockey East Rookie Team. Hutson was also named Hockey East Rookie of the Year, Hockey East Scoring Champion and runner-up for Hockey East Player of the Year. He became the third defenseman to be named Hockey East Rookie of the Year, and the first since Ian Moran in 1992.[6] He was also presented the Walter Brown Award given to the best American-born Division I men's college ice hockey player in New England, becoming just the second freshman to win said award since its establishment in 1953, and the first since Brian Leetch in 1987.[7] During the championship game of the 2023 Hockey East tournament, Hutson scored two goals, including the game-winning goal in overtime to help BU win the tournament, and receive an automatic bid to the 2023 Frozen Four.[8] He was subsequently named to the Hockey East All-Tournament Team and Tournament MVP.[9] With a goal during the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament against Western Michigan, Hutson surpassed Brian Leetch as the highest-scoring freshman in Hockey East history, a record set in 1987.[10] Returning to BU for the 2023–24 season, Hutson scored his first collegiate hat trick in a November 4, 2023, game against the University of North Dakota.[11] ProfessionalFollowing BU's overtime defeat by Denver during the 2024 Frozen Four,[12] Hutson signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canadiens on April 12, 2024.[13] He then made his NHL debut shortly thereafter on April 15, in a 5–4 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings, registering an assist.[14] Securing a full-time roster spot with the Canadiens ahead of the 2024–25 season, Hutson registered 19 points through the team's first 28 games, including a streak of points in seven consecutive games to set the franchise record for rookie defensemen, surpassing the previous mark of six set by both Glen Harmon in 1943 and Chris Chelios in 1984.[15] On December 14, 2024, he scored his first career NHL goal in a game against the Winnipeg Jets, becoming the third rookie defenseman in franchise history to reach 20 points in the first 30 games of a season.[16] With a two-point effort on December 21 versus the Red Wings, Hutson tied former Swedish blueliners Stefan Persson and Nicklas Lidstrom for the second most assists in a defenseman's first 35 career games across NHL history (26) trailing only Larry Murphy with 32.[17] He was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for December 2024, in which he recorded 13 points in 14 games, primarily playing on the top defensive pair for Montreal.[18] With a multi-assist (3) effort on January 14, 2025 versus the Utah Hockey Club, Hutson became the fourth different defenseman in Canadiens history to record a three-assist game at age 20 or younger, joining Petr Svoboda, Eric Desjardins, and fellow countryman Mathieu Schneider.[19] Shortly thereafter, Hutson matched Barry Beck as the only rookie defenseman in league history to have two point streaks of at least seven consecutive games.[20] Extending his point streak to eight games with an assist on January 19 versus the New York Rangers,[21] Hutson effectively became the first Canadiens rookie skater to post a run of that length since Stephan Lebeau over three decades prior, while also tying American Tom Kurvers for the second-most helpers in a campaign by a Canadiens rookie defenseman with 35.[22] On January 21, Hutson became just the second rookie blueliner in NHL history following Shayne Gostisbehere to post an assist streak of at least nine consecutive games.[23] International play
_088_(cropped).jpg) Hutson first represented the United States internationally at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics, where he recorded one goal and one assist in four games, earning a silver medal.[24] The following year, Hutson was named to the United States national under-18 team for the 2021 World U18 Championships, registering five assists across five games played.[25] He rejoined the team for the 2022 World U18 Championships and captured a silver medal.[26] Collectively, Hutson would be named the directorate award winner as the tournament's top defenseman and also part of the media All-Star team.[27] On December 12, 2022, Hutson was named to his country's national junior team to compete at the 2023 World Junior Championships.[28] He recorded one goal and three assists in seven games and won a bronze medal.[29] Later the same year, he was part of the national senior team for the 2023 World Championship,[30] registering two goals and four assists in nine games. Despite reaching the bronze medal game, the team was ultimately defeated by Latvia in overtime.[31] On December 16, 2023, Hutson was again named to the national junior ranks to compete at the 2024 World Junior Championships.[32] Serving as an alternate captain, he played extensive minutes in the team's deep run at the tournament, including a cumulative 52 minutes over consecutive days in the semifinal and championship games; the latter which saw the United States defeat Sweden for the gold medal.[33][34] Hutson skated on the top defensive pairing with Ryan Chesley[35] and was subsequently named to the media's All-Star team for his performance.[36] Personal lifeHutson was born in Holland, Michigan to parents Rob and Julie, and grew up in the Chicago suburb of North Barrington, Illinois.[37] He has three brothers: Quinn, Cole and Lars, the former two whom play college ice hockey at Boston University.[38] Career statisticsRegular season and playoffs
International
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