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Olympics 2026: New York’s hiring of Mike Sullivan will work against Lane Hutson
Félix Forget
Olympics 2026: New York’s hiring of Mike Sullivan will work against Lane Hutson
Credit: Getty Images
It’s been almost ten days since Mike Sullivan took over as head coach of the Rangers. The man who led the Penguins until recently will now have the task of reviving the Blue Shirts… who are coming off a most disappointing season.

In New York, hopes were high that the club would make it far in the playoffs… and in the end, the Rangers weren’t even able to secure a playoff berth.

But next season, Sullivan will also be coaching another team: Team USA at the 2026 Olympic Games. And while that may seem like a long way off, the first players to represent their country will be announced next month.

And what’s interesting is that, for the United States, the blue line is really congested. Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski, Jaccob Slavin, Brock Faber and Jake Sanderson were solid at the 4 Nations Confrontation, which is likely to earn them points… and make life difficult for the other American defensemen.

And when you consider that Sullivan is the team’s coach, you’d think he’d be pushing for Adam Fox… and suddenly, Lane Hutson’s path to the 2026 Olympics is getting harder.

There’s no doubt that the Habs defenseman is one of the NHL’s most special talents on the blue line. That said, in a world of very limited spots and stiff competition, it could quickly become difficult for him to carve out a spot on the roster.

Especially if Hughes, Werenski and Fox are there, it’ll be hard to find time for him on the powerplay, where he could really shine.

It’s worth remembering that, back in February, Fox really came into his own at the 4 Nations Showdown, and while Sullivan and Chris Drury (who is assistant GM for Team USA) will be able to argue their case and push for Fox to be on the team (much like Jon Cooper pushed for his players at the 4 Nations Showdown), it’s still Bill Guerin who will have the final say.

And Guerin doesn’t necessarily benefit from bringing Fox on board more than anyone else.

In Lane Hutson’s case, his best chance of making the team is as an extra defenseman who would come on board in the event of an injury to one of the team’s offensive defensemen. It would also give him international experience that could help him in the long run.

What’s clear, though, is that the competition for these positions will be fierce. It will be up to Hutson to force the hand of Team USA management… but at least we know he has the talent to do it.


In Overtime

– Golden Knights hit by injuries.

– Ivan Demidov enjoying his vacation.

– The Panthers’ depth shines through.

– Draw for the Roses.

– Will it help the case?

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