Wherever he went, the jewel of Montreal Canadiens Lane Hutson turned heads. This time, on the sidelines of the IIHF World Championship, the small defender was showered with honors by his teammates from the American team.

Although Hutson is 19 and has limited time on the ice, he has scored two goals and six points in seven games with Uncle Sam’s team so far. An encouraging sign for CH fans eager to see what the second-round pick will look like in 2022 and his team Small size would defend against men.

“I feel like I’m getting more confident with every game I play,” Hutson said, according to the Bettman Tour website. I feel comfortable on the ice and get along very well with my teammates.

Among his countrymen, Winnipeg Jets guard Dylan Samberg believes Hutson will be “a very good professional player”.

“A couple of times we would look at each other with the rest of the defensive team when he was on the ice and be like, ‘Oh my god, did you see that?’ He’s an excellent player. He has an excellent offensive overview and has also made very good defensive manoeuvres.

Striker Matt Coronato, who has been on the ice with him on several occasions as part of America’s development program, is not at all surprised by Hutson’s success.

“He’s a special player,” he said. He’s got so much talent. His offensive instincts are among the best I’ve seen. He is able to fool the opponent with his skating, eyes and hands.

Though his ability with the disc is undeniable, head coach David Quinn most importantly maintains the Michigan native’s ability to be a sponge.

“What I love about him is that he quickly learns to take his style of play to the next level,” said the San Jose Sharks driver. It’s easy to coach him. He works hard.”

Hutson will continue his collegiate career in 2024-2024 with the Boston University Terriers where he will notably feed the promising Macklin Celebrini.

In the meantime, he will try to reach the IIHF World Championship final with his compatriots against Germany on Saturday.