Despite winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in 2024-25, Montreal Canadiens star defenseman Lane Hutson was left off of Team USA's Olympic orientation camp in August. And his father was not too happy about it.
“Personally, from my viewpoint, yeah, I think he should've been invited,” Rob Hutson told Grant McCagg on the ‘Recrutes Habscast.'
“Our family as a whole has made a big commitment to USA Hockey throughout the years. I don't know what Bill Guerin was thinking. I don't know him, and he obviously doesn't know Lane.”
A full 44 NHL players were invited to the off-ice camp, including 16 defensemen. Hutson finished tied for sixth in scoring from the blue line with 66 points in 82 games in 2024-25, and had more points than any United States-born D-men not named Quinn Hughes or Zach Werenski.
“People don't always make the right decisions,” Rob Hutson continued. “We have to live with how they see it; we don't have to agree with it, but obviously, this fuels anyone if you're as competitive as Lane is.”
Objectively, it was a surprising omission, considering Hutson's excellent rookie season and his potential to be even better in 2025-26. But despite the snub, the 21-year-old is still eligible to make Team USA's Olympic team.
Canadiens' Lane Hutson enjoyed a historic 2024-25 season
Hutson's 66 points were the fourth-most by a rookie defenseman in NHL history, and his phenomenal campaign helped him finish ninth in Norris Trophy voting.
The 5-foot-9 rearguard was a revelation on Montreal's blue line, and along with Noah Dobson, he represents the future of the position for the Canadiens.
There are a plethora of terrific defensemen born in the United States, and cracking that lineup is not going to be easy. But Hutson should at least get some consideration, which he clearly didn't get from GM Guerin for the orientation camp.
Hutson has represented his country multiple times on the international stage, and he was part of the gold-medal winning Team USA at the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden. He also spent a couple of years with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
Interestingly, Hutson could also theoretically play for Team Canada. He owns dual citizenship despite being born and raised in the United States, as his father is from Canada.
“You never know what happens in the future,” Rob Hutson told McCagg. “My boys are also Canadian. There is an absolute luxury there.”
It'll be interesting to see if Hutson's play at the beginning of the 2025-26 season earns him a longer look to represent his country next February.
The ice hockey competitions of the 2026 Winter Olympics are set to kick off in Milan, Italy on February 5, 2026.
