The greatest suspense surrounding the Canadian – apart from perhaps the year of his next playoff appearance – ended on Friday afternoon when the organization announced that it had agreed to the clauses of a three-season entry contract with one of its top prospects, defenseman Lane Hutson.

The flamboyant defender, a second-round pick in 2022, will join the team in Detroit, where CH will play the penultimate game of its season on Monday, our colleague Renaud Lavoie reported.

If Martin St-Louis chooses to do so, fans of the team could also see him in uniform the next day when the Red Wings are in Montreal. If he plays either of those two games, the 62^e Wahl would therefore expire in the first year of his contract.

Hutson, 20, will therefore have played his last game with the Boston University Terriers on Thursday in the semifinals of the NCAA Frozen Four. For two years he was one of the centerpieces of the strong team that was in second place in the United States.

The lightest in the league

Despite his diminutive stature of 162 pounds at 5’10 inches, which will make him the lightest defenseman in the NHL, the Michigan American has posted seasons of 48 and 49 points in 39 and 38 games, respectively.

He also scored a total of 30 goals in these two seasons.

“He’s had two exceptional years,” Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes praised him on Thursday, who has never made a secret of his desire for Hutson to leave the college ranks and join the Canadiens.

“What people in Quebec may not know,” he added, “is that the average age of a freshman at an American college is 21. So to come here and accomplish what he did at 18 is very special.”

Brian Leetch’s record

Hutson leaves Boston University not in the best shape. He played a key role in his team’s elimination against the Denver Pioneers, creating a turnover behind his net that led to Quebec’s Tristan Lemyre’s equalizer in the second period.

But the rest of his college career was also crowned with individual successes. In particular, his 48 points scored in 2022-2023 will have allowed him to surpass the great Brian Leetch, who set the record for most points in a season in the NCAA for a defenseman aged 19 and under.

Known for his excellent vision and stickhandling (as well as a few goals that went viral on social media), Hutson also adapted easily to each new league he joined.

Pay attention to comparisons

Be careful, however, not to compare him too quickly to a Cale Makar or an Adam Fox, he warned two recruiters consulted by our colleague Kevin Dubélast year. And that was despite Hutson outperforming the two star defenders in his first year at the American university.

“He is dynamic, but I still have big doubts because he is a small defender who plays small. “However, I do not take anything away from his vision of the game and his talent,” said one of them on condition of anonymity.

Confident in his potential

His general manager was quite pleased this week that he was able to improve his performance in his second season, even though his offensive prowess now made him part of opposing teams’ game plans.

Photo credit: Archive photo, QMI Agency

“He’s never had any problems adjusting, whether it was at 16 with the American team or in the USHL, which is older than the juniors in Quebec, and we expect him to do the same with us,” Hughes said about 24 hours before awarding a contract to the young player.

“But how long will it last against faster, stronger and more talented players? We’ll see.”

And whether he wanted to confirm anything this week about his decision to become a professional, Hutson had stressed Newspaper that if he dared to take the plunge, he would do so “as confidently as ever.”

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