“Let’s forget about it!”: The explosive behind-the-scenes story of Lane Hutson’s contract

The Canadiens are often in the news because of their salary structure. That's to be expected.

To get to this point, Marc Bergevin had to offer Nick Suzuki the right contract, and the new front office had to build on that momentum.

It took longer for Cole Caufield than for guys like Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky, for example. But today, that doesn't really matter much anymore.

But the case that undoubtedly generated the most buzz was Lane Hutson's.

It quickly became clear that the situation was complex and that negotiations between the player's agents and team management were quite difficult.

And now, in the first episode of Season 3 of the series on the Canadiens' rebuild (available on Crave for the past few hours), the topic was addressed.

It reminds us that the situation was quite the talking point. It puts things into perspective… and we understand why Ivan Demidov was urged by Lane Hutson to sign quickly, to avoid distractions.

Lane Hutson took a lap around the ice at the end of practice to congratulate him on his new contract.

The players' reaction afterward was perfect, too. The guys, one by one, went over to give him a hug and say “congrats!” @DLCoulisses pic.twitter.com/hialFUzl6I

— Marc-Olivier Cook (@Cook_Marco) October 13, 2025

At one point (during the 2025 preseason game between the Senators and the Canadiens in Quebec City), Kent Hughes was filmed talking to Jeff Gorton.

And he said this, at a moment when he was likely at his wit's end.

“The structure and everything we've proposed—forget about it!” – Kent Hughes

Jeff Gorton also seemed to be searching for solutions, as he replied that he didn't know what to say to him, before asking what he could do.

Several members of the organization were also wondering how the situation was unfolding.

Even though it's sometimes strange to look back a year while watching the series, it puts things into perspective, despite everything. It reminds us that a year ago, that was all anyone was talking about.

And in a year, we'll see the Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj cases, I imagine.

In a nutshell

– Ouch.

He also refused to send a message to Diamondbacks fans. https://t.co/draZ85Pc2j https://t.co/mvVrRCkUnp

— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) September 1, 2026

– Carter Bear wants to make his mark. [Ratings]

– Connor Hellebuyck to Buffalo?

David Pagnotta: Regarding Connor Hellebuyck's trade request: I think Buffalo would still like to make this happen – The Sheet (8/31)

— NHL Rumor Report (@NHLRumorReport) September 1, 2026