Canadiens’ Star D-Man: 8 Lane Hutson Facts You Might Not Know

Lane Hutson, the Montreal Canadiens’ promising young defenseman, has taken his first NHL season by storm. With his unique skill set, Hutson is overcoming the challenges typically faced by undersized defenders and showing why he could be a major force for the Canadiens in the coming years. He holds onto the puck better than most veterans, he’s shifty and dynamic, he’s got great family support, and he almost wasn’t a Canadiens player. Here are eight facts you might not know about the rising star.

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Overcoming the “Undersized” Label with Sky-High Potential

At 5-foot-9, and 162 lbs, Hutson faced skepticism as a defenseman who was too small to make it in the NHL. Matthews Phillips — who had a cup of coffee in the NHL with Pittsburgh, Washington, and Calgary — held the title as the lightest player in the league until he was sent back to the AHL. That distinction now goes to Hutson.

Selected 62nd overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, he was initially questioned about whether his NCAA success would translate to the pros. Despite early defensive hiccups, Hutson is impressive with his dynamic style, elite skating, and smooth transition game.

He’s extremely small by NHL standards as the average weight is around 198 lbs, but as his defensive game matures and he learns how to avoid being hit, Hutson’s ability to command the ice and act as a “one-man breakout” machine will make his size less of a factor.

Leading the Canadiens in Ice Time

Remarkably, Hutson is leading all Canadiens players with an average ice time of 23:11 per game and ranks in the top 20 for even-strength minutes among NHL defensemen. Despite being only 20 years old, he has shown that he can handle the pressures of heavy minutes, sometimes logging over 30 minutes in a single game, such as the Canadiens’ recent match against the Kings.

This isn’t just because he can produce points (five assists in 10 games) but because the Canadiens are starting to see him as their top option on the blue line. Despite how much he skates around all three zones, he rarely seems to tire. He’s making an early case for Calder Trophy consideration.

Projecting an Award-Winning Career, According to EA Sports

EA Sports’ simulations believe Hutson’s future is extremely bright. As pointed out by Karine Hains of The Hockey News, Hutson is projected to amass 1,384 points (339 goals) over a lengthy NHL career and win multiple awards, including three Norris Trophies, one Hart Trophy, and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

The simulation also envisions Hutson lifting the Stanley Cup twice, potentially establishing him as one of the league’s top defensemen historically. These are, of course, just projections.

Medal-Winning World Junior Championships

Hutson has an impressive record representing the United States at the World Junior Championships, collecting a medal in three consecutive tournaments. After helping his team secure silver with eight assists in six games, he moved on to the U20 competition, where he netted his first goal and earned a bronze medal in 2023, followed by a gold medal in 2024.

In 2024, Hutson tallied six assists with a +8 rating, averaging 23:58 of ice time across seven games for Team USA. He earned a spot on the tournament’s All-Star team. He was also recognized as one of Team USA’s top three players.

Record-Breaking Freshman Year at Boston University

Before joining the Canadiens, Hutson made waves at Boston University. In his freshman season (2022-23), he led his team in scoring with 48 points in 38 games, becoming BU’s top point-getter as a defenseman. In 77 career NCAA games, Hutson scored 30 goals and added 67 assists for 97 points. Hutson finished second on the Terriers in total points, just behind freshman and San Jose Sharks’ rookie Macklin Celebrini. 

By maintaining a plus-25 rating the first season and a plus-14 the next, Hutson established himself as one of the NCAA’s standout players. He will go down in history as one of Boston University’s best-ever defensemen.

Part of a Hockey-Obsessed Family

Lane Hutson is the eldest of four boys, three of which are hockey players in the Huston family. He has three brothers: Quinn, Cole, and Lars, the former two of whom play college ice hockey at Boston University.

His younger brother, Cole, is also headed to the NHL, having been drafted 43rd overall by the Washington Capitals in 2024. Both Hutson brothers played for the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) before moving on to Boston University.

Lane also invited his mother to live with him in Montreal to help ease his transition into the NHL. She has been key to his early success. After leaving home at 16 to chase his hockey dreams, Hutson thought it would help to have her there to ease the challenge of adjusting to both the demands of competing at the highest level and life in a new country. According to Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette, his mother has come to love living in Montreal.

One of Only a Dozen Michigan-Born Players in Canadiens Franchise History

Born in Holland, Michigan, Hutson became the 12th Michigan native to play for the Canadiens when he debuted in April 2024. Jeff Petry leads Michigan-born Canadiens players with 248 points, while Hutson is already making strides to join that elite list.

Given his early success, he could soon become the second-highest-scoring Michigan-born player for Montreal. Could he lead the way by the time all is said and done? The other players were James Wisniewski, Greg Pateryn, Jim Cummins, Michael McCarron, Corey Schueneman, Aaron Palushaj, Zach Redmond, Bill Baker, Drayson Bowman, and his current teammate, Cayden Primeau.

Fact: Hutson Almost Wasn’t a Canadiens Player

Brett Kulak’s trade from the Canadiens to the Edmonton Oilers nearly cost Montreal Lane Hutson. While Kulak provided a steady defensive presence for Edmonton, playing every game and helping them come within one win of a Stanley Cup Final, the real twist lay in a conditional pick.

The trade included a second-round pick initially set for 2022, but with one crucial stipulation: if the Oilers reached the Final and Duncan Keith played top-four minutes, the pick would be pushed to 2023. The Oilers came close, defeating the Kings and Flames, only to be swept by the Avalanche in the conference finals. This narrow miss allowed the Canadiens to use the 2022 pick to select Hutson.

** h/t to The Hockey News and Montreal Gazzete for some of these facts

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