Lane Hutson, voted among the defensemen of the year in the NHL 26 game

Marc-Olivier Cook
Lane Hutson, voted among the defensemen of the year in the NHL 26 game
Credit: Getty Images

Lane Hutson is one of the best defensemen in the NHL.

Especially offensively.

Despite this, Bill Guerin has decided not to select him for the U.S. Olympic team. It's a controversial decision… and it won't get any better if the little defenseman continues to be this good.

But if Lane wasn't selected for the Games, he can take comfort in the fact that he was voted among the NHL 26 Defenders of the Year, which is still a fine mark of recognition.

Congratulations! And I guess Bill Guerin doesn't work as a developer at EA Sports… Hehe.

Obviously, it's well deserved.

Hutson collected 78 points in 2025: only Cale Makar (91) and Zach Werenski (82) amassed more than him.

Oh, and Lane also ranks first in assists (69) among Bettman Tour defensemen in 2025. That, too, is an important fact to consider.

But to see Hutson being so good and getting the love he deserves is a good thing. And it's impressive in a way… because we didn't necessarily expect him to dominate so quickly.

Remember: many people talked about him as a guy who would never be able to succeed because of his small size. He's not only proving that's not true: he's showing that he's got what it takes to be one of the National League's elite.

And that's why his performance is so inspiring for players with his size who want to make their mark in the sun.

Bravo again, Lane!


Overtime

Only one other NHL defenseman has been named NHL 26 Defenseman of the Year… and that's Cale Makar.

To see Lane Hutson and Cale Makar in the same category is special:

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