Rob Hutson on Lane: 'He's just pure passion'

MONTREAL -- Rob Hutson wasn't expecting his son, Lane, to be selected by the Canadiens.

Heading into the 2022 NHL Draft, the former junior, collegiate and pro hockey player believed that the smooth-skating defensemen was actually bound for an Original Six rival.
"To be honest, we thought it was going to be Toronto the first day," shared Mr. Hutson. "They had interviewed him multiple times before."
But the Maple Leafs ultimately traded away their first-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Hutson family left the Bell Centre on Thursday, July 7 still wondering where Lane would land.
Fortunately, that news came relatively early on Friday.

General manager Kent Hughes plucked Hutson from the crowd in the latter stages of the second round at 62nd overall.
Rob remembers the moments leading up to the pick rather fondly because there were hints that the U.S. National Team Development Program standout was on the Habs' radar.
"As crazy as it is, we were sitting right in front of Kent's wife, Deena, with our assigned seating, so it was weird because Kent was always kind of looking up in our direction before making the pick. I thought… he was just missing his wife. I couldn't really catch on at the time," recalled Mr. Hutson with a laugh. "When they announced Lane's name, though, it was just excitement and relief. That day was very emotional."
Fast forward five months later and Hutson is enjoying a remarkable start to his NCAA career as a freshman at Boston University where he boasts 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) in 14 games under head coach Jay Pandolfo.
The 18-year-old blueliner, who ranks second in team scoring, is continuing to prove that his smaller 5-foot-9 and 155-pound frame isn't a disadvantage at all, even at this next stage of his development.

"I don't think Lane knows the difference between levels. Everybody is created equal when the puck drops. He doesn't see a 6-foot-6 guy across from him. Even if he's playing against older guys, he wouldn't see a guy out there playing for keeps to feed his kids. He's just another hockey player," explained Mr. Hutson. "That's probably a very good quality. That's going to help him for a long time."
The fact that Lane absolutely loves the sport with every fiber of his being helps his cause too, according to his father.
He embraces competition and relishes any challenge.
"He's just pure passion. That's what he is. And he wants to be the best at everything he does," mentioned Mr. Hutson. "I think that passion to compete comes from being raised with his three brothers, from the environment they've created. Their mother, Julie, is also extremely competitive. She was a gymnast on the U.S. Junior Olympic Team, so she knows what training is and she knows what commitment to your craft is."

The same can be said for Rob. He played four years at the University of Illinois-Chicago (CCHA) and spent time in the ECHL, WPHL and UHL.
And now he runs the Midget program for the North Jersey Avalanche in Alpine, NJ.
Rob enjoyed mentoring a self-motivated Lane as a youngster.
"He was always like 'Hey, Dad!' - whether it was in the driveway or whatever - he'd want to work on saucer passes or this or that. Even though I worked with him considerably, he did all the work himself. If I spent 20 minutes working on passing with him, Lane would do two hours on his own when we were done. He would even make crazy requests like 'I don't feel like I'm conditioned enough, can you bag skate me?' I remember little things like that," shared Mr. Hutson. "I also did these skating sessions in Chicago four nights per week, two 90-minute sessions each night. Lane did those for three years straight in the springs and summers, focusing on things like edgework and jumps. I was on the ice leading drills, but he was the real leader because I'd have him demonstrate how I wanted it done - how to keep your hips up and control your body when you lose an edge. He did a lot of it."

Ask Rob what really allowed Lane to steadily take his game to new heights over the years and he'll tell you straight.
Discipline. It's just as simple as that.
"It's the sacrifice that he continually makes. It's his sacrifice and commitment. Lane always stayed true to it. He gave up high-school football games, he gave up a social life, he's traveled in cars, he's got on planes. We used to travel all over the place on weekends, flying to places like Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle and Los Angeles," recounted Mr. Hutson. "The sacrifice and commitment that he makes is over and above what I've ever seen anybody do, and I've been involved with a lot of good players."
As for one of Rob's favorite hockey memories of Lane to date, winning the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence in June is among his favorites.
Presented by NHL Central Scouting, the award is given annually to the NHL Draft-eligible player who best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism.
It certainly was a fitting honor.
"That was pretty special because there had to be some deep digging to go into finding out what type of kid he was," praised Mr. Hutson. "From a hockey perspective, that's probably at the top of my list."
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Many more good moments are undoubtedly on the horizon for Lane in the NCAA and eventually in the pros.
And his parents couldn't be prouder.
"I'm happy that he's having success. Honestly, Lane's done the work. We just provided the platform, and he's done the work," concluded Mr. Hutson. "I know Lane wants to be there sooner than later, so he's going to do everything he can to make people make tough decisions."
Cover photo credit: Kyle Prudhomme