MONTREAL— The spectacular saucer pass marked the start of Lane Hutson`s journey to becoming rookie of the year. This clever pass, traversing three zones and floating over several opponents before landing precisely on Emil Heineman’s stick, was the first of many plays that would go viral, demonstrating his exceptional, almost unmatched, talent from September through May.
Witnessing Hutson execute that pass during one of the initial scrimmages at the Montreal Canadiens training camp felt like a momentous introduction, akin to Tiger Woods` famous “Hello, world” debut.
While Hutson likely didn`t make the pass with the specific intention of signaling his potential to be the first Canadiens player to win the Calder Trophy since Ken Dryden in 1972, it certainly created that impression.
Everything else observed from the 21-year-old throughout that period further validated why he received an overwhelming 165 out of 191 first-place votes for the award from the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
On Tuesday, approximately ten days after being formally presented with the Calder Trophy in his home state of Illinois during a surprise celebration attended by family, friends, and the NHL, Hutson spoke to the media via a virtual press conference from a dressing room in a Boston arena to discuss the prestigious honor.
It was a fitting backdrop for a player who appears most at ease when he is at the hockey rink.
On this particular day, he was there for Bauer Hockey`s annual combine, where, as he explained, he was “trying out some new skates, sticks.”
However, over the past year, nearly every other visit to the arena was dedicated to refining the skills that allowed him to achieve a historic milestone in his inaugural NHL season.
His impressive total of 60 assists tied Larry Murphy for the most assists ever recorded by a rookie defenseman in the NHL. With 66 total points, he ranks just behind only Murphy, Gary Suter, and Brian Leetch for the highest point totals by a rookie blueliner in league history.