Analyst Shocked as Team USA Continues to Snub Lane Hutson

Team USA announced on Wednesday that Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe would be replacing the injured Seth Jones at the upcoming February Winter Olympics — a decision that, unsurprisingly, has sparked some blowback online.

Several other names were once again notably snubbed by USA Hockey, none more so than Lane Hutson, who, of course, didn’t even receive an invite to orientation camp back in August.

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It’s another head-scratching decision to pass on a player who’s already proven himself as one of the best defensemen in the world — let alone one of the top American defensemen — and TSN analyst Craig Button can’t understand how he continues to be overlooked.

Button said:

“I was shocked that Lane Hutson wasn’t the replacement for Seth Jones, very shocked. You know, Lane Hutson is one of the best defensemen in the entire NHL. We don’t have to start getting into USA Hockey… But Lane Hutson is a brilliant offensive mind, he’s a very, very good defensive player, and he’s unique. The only thing I can think of is they go, ‘oh well, we didn’t name Adam Fox, so we’re not going to name Lane Hutson.’ Listen, Jackson LaCombe is a good player… Jackson LaCombe is not a better player than Lane Hutson. I like their chances better with Lane Hutson on the team,”

It’s hard to disagree with Button, and it begs the question: what more could Hutson have done to make this team?

Lane Hutson Couldn’t Have Done Anything Else

As disappointing as it must be for Hutson to keep getting passed over, he can safely say he’s done everything in his power to deserve a spot.

The 21-year-old is producing at over a point per game in 2025–26, having racked up 52 points (nine goals, 43 assists) in 50 games, which has him tied with Zach Werenski and just two points behind Cale Makar for the league lead in scoring by a defenseman. While points aren’t everything, that is game-changing production — and his defensive play is only improving, as reflected in his +18 rating.

What’s become clear throughout this process is that GM Bill Guerin and Team USA are prioritizing size on their blue line, and they’re holding that against players like Hutson and Adam Fox — despite both being among the six best American-born defensemen in the world.

Hutson’s fate appeared to be set in stone regardless of his performance in the first half of the season. Whether that comes back to haunt Team USA remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: if they struggle to generate offense at the Olympics, they’ll have nobody to blame but themselves.

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