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Canadiens Lane Hutson On Thrilling NCAA Season, Future Goals

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1 year ago

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Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson OT goal

It’s been quite the year for Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson, as his historic freshman year in the NCAA has been nothing short of impressive.

The transition to the NCAA could not have gone smoother for Hutson, who used all the scrutiny on his game and his lack of size as fuel to take his game up a notch.

He knew what was waiting for him in the NCAA this season with Boston University and worked incredibly hard over the summer to improve his explosiveness and speed of execution; but he didn’t stop there.

What’s made him much more effective this year has been identifying open space on the ice and aggressively attacking it, thus creating more time and space for himself to make plays.

“I’ve been able to transition pucks really quickly and generate a lot of my offence off the rush,” said Hutson regarding his historically impressive offensive production in his freshman year. “I’ve worked on finding and attacking pockets of open space. When I see open space, I attack it now and try to make a play. It’s worked well for my team so far.”

It’s worked wonders for him, as he consistently looks two steps ahead of the competition.

Lane Hutson‘s improved anticipation and flair for the dramatic have helped him put together one of the most memorable NCAA freshman seasons in recent memory. He’s recorded a staggering nine goals and 22 assists for 31 points in just 24 games, which currently leads all NCAA-based defencemen.

He also sits at 11th overall in the NCAA in terms of points percentage with a 1.29 ratio, making him one of the top offensive players in the entire NCAA, regardless of position.

World Stage

Hutson took much of what made him effective in the NCAA and brought it with him to the Maritimes this holiday season, as he represented his country at the World Junior Championships.

Being one of the younger defencemen in the tournament, Hutson started off on the second defensive pair and performed quite well for the Americans, on both ends of the ice.

“It was great to play with the best players of my age and such talented guys like (Luke) Hughes,” said Hutson regarding his experience at the World Junior Championships. “Wasn’t the result we wanted, but it was great for me to test myself against the best.”

Whenever the Americans needed to shake things up and get a spark going, Hutson was regularly bumped onto the top pairing to play with 2021 4th overall pick, Luke Hughes; a great show of confidence by head coach Rand Pecknold.

The Americans came away from the tournament with a Bronze medal, thanks to some clutch play from Hutson; a theme he carried over with him from the NCAA.

Since his return to Boston University, Hutson hasn’t missed a beat and looks primed for a very strong end to his NCAA season as divisional playoffs are set to begin next month.

Growth In His Game

Over the last few weeks, Montreal Canadiens fans have gotten excited at the news that Lane Hutson was now being listed at 5’10; effectively having grown two inches since the NHL Combine last summer.

It created quite the storm on Twitter, something that caught Hutson’s eye over the last few days.

“Yeah, I saw that online. It was funny,” said Hutson as he shrugged it off. “I’ll take it.”

Boston University later confirmed that they had indeed officially changed Hutson’s measurements to 5’10.

Hutson made it clear that an extra inch won’t impact his transition to professional hockey; but it never hurts.

Nonetheless, the story regarding Hutson’s delayed bone development has been fascinating to watch over the last few months.

Playing In Montreal

In discussing the reaction of Habs fans to his recent growth, both on and off the ice, Hutson was quick to praise the fanbase for their passion and their continued support.

He mentioned that he sees the comments and all the positive vibes he’s received from the fanbase; getting the youngster excited for .what the future may hold

“It’s really exciting. There’s nothing I look forward to more than hopefully wearing that Montreal Canadiens jersey in the future,” said Hutson regarding his appreciation of the Canadiens and the fanbase.

That being said, the 62nd pick in the 2022 NHL Draft isn’t getting ahead of himself right now. The thought of turning pro hasn’t even crossed his mind yet, as he remains focused on his historically impressive freshman year.

Hutson’s goal for the season is simply to stay in the moment and help the Boston University Terriers get to a national title.

“But right now, I’m focused on the present and my team,” said Hutson regarding his priorities. “I haven’t thought about turning pro. I’ve focused on improving my game and staying in the moment. Our goal is to win it all.”

As he continues to dazzle on the ice, Hutson knows he’ll be doing it with the full support of the Montreal Canadiens faithful, a comforting feeling for a player known for defying the odds.

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