Lane Train: Canadiens' Rookie Defenseman Takes Home 2025 Calder Trophy

Aylee Ahmadzadeh | June 10, 2025

In a year stacked with elite rookie talent, it was the 5"10 superstar from Michigan who stole the spotlight. Lane Hutson, the Montreal Canadiens’ electric blueliner, was awarded the 2025 Calder Memorial Trophy on Tuesday, capping off a sensational rookie campaign that shattered expectations and rewrote the narrative on undersized defensemen in the NHL today. Earning 165 first place votes, this was an easy walk for Lane. With poise beyond his years, elite skating, and offensive instincts that drew comparisons to Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar, Hutson emerged as a core piece in Montreal’s rebuild and now, officially (and rightfully so), the league’s top rookie

Season Overview

• Games Played: 82

• Goals: 6

• Assists: 60 (led NHL rookies and Canadiens' defensemen) 

• Total Points: 66 (tops among all rookies) 

• +/- Rating: –2

• Penalty Minutes: 34

Milestones (NHL.com)

• Most Assists by a Rookie Defenseman

• Most Points by a Rookie Defenseman

• First Canadien to win Calder since Ken Dryden (1972)

• Longest Rookie Point Streak in Canadiens History

• and many more!

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