The Montreal Canadiens hit a home run selecting Lane Hutson 62nd overall at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old defenceman stepped into the NHL and became a key power-play (PP) weapon – the player who launched the Canadiens’ transition game. However, he was not selected to Team USA’s camp this summer in preparation for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, when NHLers will return to the tournament.
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Some considered it a snub to omit the 2025 Calder Trophy winner. Added to a slow news cycle and a rabid fanbase, any small spark was ready to ignite a fire online. But when Hutson’s father, Rob, made an offhand remark on the Habscast podcast that his “boys are also Canadian” – likely out of frustration and even in jest – he lit that spark, and it has now taken on a life of its own. Hutson may not have been selected for the Olympic camp, but it might be a blessing in disguise for him and the Canadiens.
Canadiens Face Controversy
Hutson and his camp are not happy that he wasn’t selected to join Team USA’s Olympic camp, and who can blame them? He beat out Matvei Michkov and Macklin Celebrini, two high-octane offensive forwards, to win the Calder. It took him finishing in the top seven in defencemen scoring, tying the NHL’s single-season rookie record for assists (60), and becoming one of the most used skaters on a playoff team. So, it’s no surprise that Team USA’s inviting 16 defencemen that don’t include Hutson left a bad taste in their mouths.
Yet, as noted by Marco D’Amico of RG.org, sources close to Team USA have said that he wasn’t included because he didn’t participate in the World Championships this summer, and also, his style of play is similar to Quinn Hughes and Zach Werenski. Yet, Hutson’s dedication to Team USA is now being questioned by some fans online due to a viral clip.
“It’s easy to take a 60-minute interview and turn it into a 15-second clip for clicks. There is no animosity there from Lane or his father; with both confirming this on record.”Sean Coffey – Lane Hutson’s agent
While at a charity event, Hutson was asked about not receiving an invitation to the U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp:
“There are some great players who play for USA Hockey and great NHL players going to that. I wish them the best and hopefully they enjoy the camp. For me, I’ve got a season to get ready for and I look forward to it. …. I’d love to play [at the Olympics] but you never know what could happen and it’s a long season. So if the opportunity presents itself, it’s definitely something I’d love to do.”-Lane Hutson
The situation has been blown out of proportion. Does the Hutson camp feel slighted? Of course. Any competitor who wants to play for their country and feels they deserve some recognition will be upset. Is this a big deal? Absolutely not. As a matter of fact, this could be a stroke of good fortune.
Canadiens Better off
We’ve all heard of the sophomore slump. There are many potential causes for this. Sometimes, it’s because of how a team uses a player or hasn’t prepared them properly for their role. Other times, they get an increased role and struggle. In Hutson’s case, he has essentially worked out those growing pains after graduating to the top of the Canadiens’ depth chart over the course of 2024-25.
Like the 4 Nations Face-Off last season, the Olympic break will come just before the final stretch of about 25 to 30 games of the regular season. Entering a contract season, Canadian Sportsbooks has set the over/under for Hutson’s point totals at 65.5. While a sophomore slump is a real issue, the Canadiens are set up for Hutson to have success yet again.
He can beat those odds. It wouldn’t be out of the question to see Hutson score 70 points in 2025-26. To start with, the Canadiens have added Noah Dobson to force the opposition to key on two weapons on the point, instead of just one. Also, the addition of offensively skilled forwards, such as Ivan Demidov, will help the team take advantage of Hutson’s role as a puck mover.
Coming from the NCAA, where seasons are shorter and offer more recovery time between games, it is normal that Hutson would have hit a wall at the mid-point of last season. He wasn’t used to travelling or playing that many games. He was also the second most-used player by head coach Martin St-Louis. Among all of Montreal’s skaters, only Mike Matheson played more on average in 2024-25.
Yes, fans want to see their favourite players competing in a best-on-best scenario, especially at the Olympics, where NHLers have not participated since 2014. However, not everyone will get that, and in Hutson’s case, it is highly unlikely, even if he were to have a magical first half of the season.
Instead, all his focus will be on the Canadiens and their success this season. Having another long break mid-season will only help Hutson. While winning a medal would add to his already substantial trophy case, having a highly productive season will help him earn a new contract and, more importantly, push Montreal into the race for a playoff position.
