Olympic orientation camps have come and gone, though some of the notable snubs still don’t make any sense. Team USA had several that raised eyebrows, but the one that continues to stick out amongst the others is Montreal Canadiens star defenseman Lane Hutson.
The Holland, Michigan, native burst onto the scene last year, producing the fifth-best season from a rookie defenseman in NHL history. Hutson looked brilliant from the jump, flashing his dynamic offensive abilities while showing big improvements in other aspects of the game as the season progressed.
With such little experience and the veteran talent the Americans already have on defense, it was and is unlikely for Hutson to make the US Olympic team. But to not even be one of the 16 blue liners invited to camp? That still doesn’t seem right.
Nobody truly knows why Hutson was snubbed, including his father, Rob Hutson, who had some interesting comments about the matter in a recent appearance on Recrutes HabsCast, even hinting at his son’s Canadian roots.
“I think our family has made a commitment to Team USA hockey throughout the years. I don’t know what Bill Guerin was thinking. I don’t know him; he probably obviously doesn’t know Lane. We have to live with how they see it. We don’t have to agree with it. This fuels anyone, especially if you’re as competitive as Lane,” Hutson said.
“There’s no animosity towards it; they have the opportunity to make the decisions they make, so be it. You never know what happens in the future; my boys are also Canadian,” Hutson added.
The 21-year-old had a spectacular rookie season in 2024-25, winning the Calder Trophy thanks to his 66 points (six goals, 60 assists) in 82 games played.
Would Hutson make Team Canada?
It would be a difficult task for Lane Hutson to make the Canadian Olympic roster, but given the Americans’ loaded blue line, he’d have more of an opportunity to crack Team Canada.
Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and Josh Morrissey are the only locks on defense, which leaves three other openings and two extra spots available. He would be competing against a plethora of great players with more experience than him, but you can’t count Hutson out.
After all, he was the seventh-highest scoring defenseman last season, and only two Canadian defensemen were among the six that were more productive. Not to mention, he did all of that as a rookie.
