Defenceman Lane Hutson 1st Canadiens player named NHL's top rookie since Ken Dryden in 1972

Donna Spencer · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 10, 2025 12:29 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

An undersized defenceman chosen 62nd successful his draught people was named the NHL's rookie of the twelvemonth Tuesday.

Lane Hutson is the archetypal Montreal Canadiens subordinate to triumph the Calder Memorial Trophy since goaltender Ken Dryden successful 1972.

"That's a beauteous brainsick thing," Hutson said Tuesday during a media league call.

"You deliberation of the past of the Canadians and it's beauteous peculiar for sure, but I've been fortunate to person opportunities with this squad and the enactment I've had, it was amazing. It's beauteous chill though for sure."

The five-foot-nine, 162-pound defenceman led each rookies successful constituent accumulation successful 2024-25 with six goals and 60 assists, portion the Canadiens climbed the Eastern Conference standings to drawback a playoff berth successful the last crippled of their regular season.

Hutson's 25 points aft February's 4 Nations Face-Off, erstwhile Montreal went 15-5-6, ranked 3rd among NHL defenceman. Hutson besides tied for the league pb with a plus-18 standing during that stretch.

"You were 'too tiny to marque your mark', but past crippled aft game, you showed you weren't," the 77-year-old Dryden said successful a video the Canadiens posted connected X.

"Your squad 'wasn't yet acceptable to compete,' past period aft month, you showed you were. Now you and your squad are connected your way. I can't hold to spot what happens next. Go Lane go. Go Habs go."

The Habs bowed retired successful 5 games to the Washington Capitals successful the archetypal circular of the playoffs. Hutson had an assistance successful each game.

'Not satisfied' with aboriginal playoff exit

"We fought till the end, we fought to Game 82 and got into a playoff spot," helium said.

"You don't cognize what could hap passim a afloat play and to beryllium warring till the end, it was beauteous awesome. I would emotion to inactive beryllium playing now, of course, but to play successful playoffs and get that experience, decidedly blessed we got there, but not satisfied with that for sure."

Hutson was the wide Calder prime among Professional Hockey Writers Association voters arsenic the archetypal prime connected 165 of 191 ballots, and a unanimous top-two pick.

The 21-year-old from Holland, Mich., amassed 1,832 voting points up of runner-up Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf (1,169) and San Jose Sharks centre Macklin Celebrini (1,104).

Hutson's 60 assists matched Larry Murphy (1980-81) for the astir by a rookie defenceman, portion his 66 points trailed lone Murphy, Brian Leetch (1988-89) and Gary Suter (1985-86) for the astir by a rookie blueliner.

The Canadiens selected Hutson precocious successful the 2nd circular of the 2022 draught retired of the USA Hockey's nationalist squad improvement program, and earlier his freshman twelvemonth astatine Boston University.

Hutson dipped his toed into the NHL erstwhile helium came retired of assemblage to play 2 games for Montreal astatine the extremity of the 2023-24 season.

That burned the archetypal twelvemonth of his entry-level contract, truthful he's eligible for an hold July 1.

Hutson was amazed with the Calder Trophy astatine a meal attended by much than 50 household and friends successful Lake Barrington, Ill. The NHL posted the video Tuesday.

Live with ma successful Montreal during season

"It was similar a week and a fractional ago, truthful I've known for a bit, but had to support it beauteous quiet. I thought I was going to a fundraiser," Hutson said. "My dada told maine I was coming to a fundraiser and I conscionable didn't cognize what was going on, truthful it's beauteous cool.

"I didn't expect the trophy to beryllium determination and erstwhile it came out, it was beauteous comic and thing I'll ne'er hide for sure."

Hutson's parent Julie lived with him successful Montreal successful his rookie season.

"I told her she tin travel backmost adjacent twelvemonth excessively due to the fact that she helps maine truthful much," Hutson said from Boston, wherever helium was investigating skates and sticks from a supplier Tuesday.

"There's pugnacious struggles and passim a play everyone goes done it and to person idiosyncratic to speech to and thin connected it was truly important for maine and she's the best."

The defenceman was a "rink rat" successful his archetypal NHL play arsenic helium seldom missed a accidental to get connected the crystal and skate, adjacent erstwhile the Canadiens had a time off.

"When you bash thing you emotion and you get to bash it, it's not truly work," Hutson stated. "It's conscionable maine enjoying what I bash and wanting to effort to assistance the squad successful a mode I can."

The NHL said the winners of the Hart Trophy, awarded to the league's astir invaluable player, and the Vezina Trophy, fixed to its apical goaltender, volition beryllium revealed successful a peculiar earlier Game 4 of the Stanley Cup last connected Thursday astatine 6 p.m. ET.