Canadiens Prospect Hutson Snubbed From Hobey Baker Top 3

Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson has enjoyed one of the best seasons in recent NCAA history.

He’s collected a number of accolades along the way, including the Walter Brown Award, given to New England’s top American-born men’s college player.

Congrats to Lane Hutson on being just the second freshman ever to receive the Walter Brown Award as the top American-born men’s college hockey player in New England!https://t.co/NQMOMazlWR pic.twitter.com/iC7IPUQMa0

— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) March 30, 2023

And though he was rightfully named among the top-10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award award, along with fellow Canadiens prospect Sean Farrell, Hutson will not take home the NCAA’s award for the top collegiate player in the country.

Logan Cooley (Arizona Coyotes), Adam Fantilli (top prospect, 2023), and Matthew Knies (Toronto Maple Leafs) are the three players in contention for the award.

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Committee is pleased to announce the three Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalists for the 2023 award, honoring college hockey’s top player. Alphabetically, they are: Logan Cooley, a freshman forward from the University of Minnesota; https://t.co/0Wyth7htuI… pic.twitter.com/q77cHp81L0

— Hobey Baker Award (@HobeyBakerAward) March 30, 2023

It’s Fantilli’s award to lose.

Not only is he one of the top prospects available in the upcoming Draft, but the freshman also enjoyed a fantastic season which saw him lead the entire NCAA in points per game.

Fantill scored 29 goals and 35 assists in 35 games, the only player to finish with more points per game than Farrell. Cooley also had an excellent year, and finished just behind Farrell in points per game, with 20 goals and 37 assists in 37 games.

Clear Snubs

There’s one nominee, however, that stands out like a sore thumb.

At the risk of provoking ire from Maple Leafs fans, Knies had a very average season from a production point of view. He barely cracked the point-per-game mark, with just 41 points in 38 games, which means he’s tied for 24th in the NCAA when it comes to points per game. Knies also finished third in scoring among Golden Gophers players.

His underlying numbers are solid, but there’s no denying the second-year forward failed to produce as much as someone like Hutson, who produced 48 points in 38 games as a freshman, breaking several NCAA records along the way.

He led the NCAA in defenceman scoring and was the leading scorer on his team.

It’s always difficult to judge these awards, but you’d be hard-pressed to argue Knies has done anything this season that points to him being among the top 3 players in college hockey.

He finished tied for 18th in scoring, whereas Hutson, a defenceman, finished seventh.

On that note, Buffalo Sabres fans may also have an issue with the three finalists, seeing as Devon Levi, the most dominant goaltender in the NCAA, was also cut from the running for the Hobey Baker Award.

The good news for Habs fans is that despite the obvious snub, the best is yet to come in Hutson’s case. He’s defying all expectations in his rookie season and has quickly emerged as the top player in the organization’s prospect pool.

MUST READ: Canadiens Prospect Power Rankings – Season Finale Edition