Lane Hutson has ended his rookie season on a high note. The dynamic defenseman for the Montreal Canadiens has skated away with the Calder Memorial Trophy after an impressive rookie season. This is the first time since 1971-1972 that a Montreal Canadien has received this award.
The Canadiens’ Defenseman had a great season. Hutson ended his rookie year with six goals and 60 assists in 82 games played. He was dynamic on the ice and totalled 22:44 of ice time per game played, which is impressive for a young rookie in his first year. Hutson had strong performances in each game played and was impactful on the ice even during their short playoff run.
Hutson became the rookie of the month in the NHL in December of 2024. He led all rookies in assists, power-play assists, power-play points and ice time. Hutson tied Larry Murphy for the 60 single-season assists set by a rookie defenseman. Murphy set the record with the LA Kings in the 1980-1981 season.
On top of leading all rookies this season, Hutson is now the fourth defenseman since 1943-44 to lead all rookies in points. He is joined by Bobby Orr, who had 41 points, Brian Leetch with 71 and Quinn Hughes with 53.
The Calder Trophy didn’t come easily for Hutson; he was neck and neck with Macklin Celebrini, and Dustin Wolf was not far behind. The competition between the three players was exciting; all three exemplify what it takes to make it in the NHL. Hutson ended the race with 165 votes out of the possible 191 first-place votes. This put him over 1,832 points, placing Wolf in second with 1,169 and Celebrini in third with 1,104.
Votes for the Calder Trophy are not just based solely on the points and games played. Hutson was consistent throughout each game; he was a powerful asset for the team in helping them win games. Besides his defensive play, Hutson is also skilled offensively, which makes him a vital player for the team. Throughout the season, Hutson also broke Montreal Canadiens records and even tied NHL records.
Wolf started in 59 games this season, where he held a record of 29-16-8. He had a 2.64 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. The rookie goaltender also had three shutouts this season with the Calgary Flames. Wolf was drafted by the Flames in 2019, where he was selected in the seventh round.
The Flames goaltender held his own in the running. However, looking at the history of the Calder Memorial Trophy, it is often awarded to skating positions and not goaltenders. This trend immediately caused a setback for Wolf, who only continued to fight the uphill battle. Regardless of his impressive stats and his performances throughout his games, this race was already going to be harder for him based on his position.
Celebrini, the youngest player in the NHL and one of the most exciting players to watch, only played in 70 games for the San Jose Sharks. The 18-year-old rookie was injured early in the season, which prevented him from starting his season off strong. The forward had 25 goals and 38 assists with an average of 19:47 of ice time per game. Celebrini had the highest points-per-game rate among all rookies in the NHL.
There is the question of, Macklin would have won the Calder Trophy had he not missed games early on in the season? This is a question that not a single person can truly answer. The rookie had missed 12 games due to an injury that prevented him from playing throughout October. Celebrini is also skilled as a two-way player and a top points scorer; had he played in all 82 games, he would likely have been a more competitive opponent to Hutson.
Regardless of the “What If’s” or the trend of the trophy, this year’s Calder Trophy belongs to Lane Hutson hands down. This year’s nominees all deserve to be recognized for their strong performances, their skills and their impacts on their teams. However, there is no question that Lane Hutson is the best candidate and recipient for this award. Hutson will be a leading force in the future success of the Montreal Canadiens Franchise and has what it takes to help his team go further in their season for the years to come.
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