When Team USA revealed the 44-man roster for their Olympic Men’s Hockey Orientation Camp for Aug. 26 and 27, fans were expecting to see a list full of stars. But while it had some of the best names from the NHL, Lane Hutson’s name was strangely missing.
The defenseman was one of the best players in the league for the Montreal Canadiens this past season and was coming off a Calder Trophy. But while fans and critics had their opinions, one insider had his own take on this whole omission.
NHL Insider Explains Why Lane Hutson Was Snubbed From the Olympic Orientation Camp
Hutson was a big reason behind the Canadiens making it to the playoffs this past season, impressing with both his defense and his playmaking. But despite this, USA Hockey still omitted him from their list for the upcoming camp.
With 60 assists in the regular season, Hutson also tied the record for the most assists scored by a rookie D-man since Larry Murphy in the 1980-81 season. And NHL insider Marco D’Amico reveals why he believes Hutson wasn’t included in the camp.
“While Hutson’s brilliant rookie season (6g, 60a) easily warranted an invite to the camp, right or wrong, stats aren’t always the deciding factor when it comes to building a roster,” D’Amico said.
And some believed that Hutson’s passing on the World Championships could be a reason.
Sources mentioned to D’Amico, “He didn’t go to the World Championships; that’s the first part, and that matters.” They continued, “I know that for both Canada and the United States, that weighs heavily on the decision-making because they have such deep talent pools.”
D’Amico mentioned that both teams could put in two different teams and still get gold.
“So, other stuff comes into play, and showing up for the Worlds when you have the chance goes a long way to playing in the Olympics,” D’Amico said.
The source mentioned that Hutson’s teammate, Nick Suzuki, was also not invited to the 4 Nations face-off. And that is because he didn’t attend the Worlds before that. So if Hutson wanted to be at the camp, he should’ve joined the World Championships.
Team USA included 16 defensemen in the camp.
“Three of those players, Jackson LaCombe, Brady Skjei, and Alex Vlasic, helped USA Hockey win gold at the World Championships this past May,” D’Amico said.
D’Amico mentioned that, according to his source, a big reason for Hutson not being invited is that USA Hockey has a plethora of small defensemen. The source told D’Amico that while Hutson might be a better choice than Luke Hughes, the only other small defenseman, Quinn Hughes, is their best defenseman.
“For someone like Lane Hutson, who was already motivated going into a contract year, this just adds even more fuel to the fire.” D’Amico said. “As the Canadiens look to punch their ticket back to the playoffs again this season, a motivated Hutson will be a major piece in getting them there.”
