Ben Hutton Looking To Maximize PTO Opportunity With The Islanders

The New York Islanders had a fresh face at practice on Tuesday with 33-year-old defenseman Ben Hutton, who signed a PTO with the team on Monday.

The PTO came after the Islanders announced on Sunday that Ryan Pulock will miss 2-4 weeks with an upper-body injury, trimming the Isles down to just six defensemen. Now, Hutton is looking to make his mark and obtain a full-time NHL contract with the Islanders.

“Obviously there's a couple injuries here,” Hutton said. “They called, I wanted to come out here, show my best and hopefully earn a roster spot here.”

Hutton has played 575 games during his 11-year NHL career that spans five different organizations. He’s racked up 139 points (30G, 109A) over that span, along with 400 hits and 725 blocked shots. Hutton had spent the previous five seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights and won a Stanley Cup in 2023.

After recording 15 points (6G, 9A) in 55 regular-season games and playing seven postseason games with Vegas – who reached the Stanley Cup Final – last year, Hutton didn’t receive a contract in the offseason.

Hutton then signed with the Ottawa Senators on a PTO on Sept. 17 and was released on Sept. 29 after playing a pair of preseason games. He now joins the Islanders after not being part of an organization for over a month that included a mixture of family time and frustration, while waiting for his next opportunity.

“It's been a whirlwind,” Hutton said. “Never really experienced something like this. Been in the league for a little time now, and thought I had a good year, nothing came of it. I just kept my work boots on and staying ready, and waiting for an opportunity, and here we are now so got to make the most of it.”

Hutton had been skating and training with his skills coach Pat Malloy in Ottawa while staying ready for his opportunity, which now comes with the Islanders.

Hutton said skating with a full group is an adjustment compared with his one-on-one sessions with Malloy, and that he’s working on getting his ‘hockey lungs’ back.

During his time away from an NHL roster, Hutton got to enjoy more time at home with his 1-year-old daughter Honey and his wife Emma. Hutton said Emma played a critical role in keeping him “mentally strong” during the nights he was yearning to play games again.

“I got to give a lot of credit to my wife too,” Hutton said. “She's been there backing me up a lot of days that I've been cursing at the at the TV or whatever. She's been there strong for me too. It's obviously a physical game, but you don't realize how mental (of a) battle it is as well.”

“She’s taking up a lot of my time,” Hutton said of his daughter Honey. “That was a blessing in disguise. I got a little more time with her. Probably added a few gray hairs along the way, but it is what it is. It's the nature of the beast, and that's hockey.”

While Hutton needs to sign an official contract in order to play with the Islanders, he already has ample familiarity with multiple Isles including Head Coach Pete DeBoer.

Hutton – who arrived on Long Island Monday night – spent his first season in Vegas playing for DeBoer in 2021-22 and the pair reunited Tuesday morning.

 Hutton was an integral piece of Vegas’ success and said DeBoer’s message to him was to play his game and bring a sense of energy.

“I know the player, I know the person,” DeBoer said. “(He) brings experience. He's an interesting guy because when I was in Vegas, we picked him up, and he made himself an important part of that group for four or five years on a really deep defense on a really good team. He's versatile, he's experienced, he was playing deep into the playoffs last year... Really intrigued about what he might be able to bring to our group.”

DeBoer said he was “pleasantly surprised” with the physical shape Hutton arrived in and noted that Tuesday’s demanding practice was a good barometer of where Hutton is physically.

Hutton said he spent Tuesday morning meeting his teammates and said the familiarity with DeBoer's defensive system can help him adjust.

“He's always been a straight shooter,” Hutton said of DeBoer. “His structure is great. He demands it of everyone from top to bottom of the lineup which is great. He even had a meeting this morning, and I was smiling because he was saying everyone pull on the same rope and it'll move quicker. Just stuff like that. He's been a great coach in the past to me, and hopefully he can be another coach for the year, so that'd be great.”

Another preexisting connection for Hutton is Isles captain Bo Horvat as the pair spent four seasons together with the Vancouver Canucks from 2015 to 2019.

Horvat echoed DeBoer’s sentiment and said that Hutton’s extensive experience in the league can be a valuable asset for the team.

“It's awesome to see Huts again,” Horvat said. “It's been a long time, and we had a lot of fun there in Vancouver, and he's been a really good player for a lot of years. And I mean, I think his experience for sure. Been playing in Vegas and winning culture, and obviously Stanley Cup there so to have his presence in here is going to be great.

“He's one of the most bubbliest guys that you’ll ever be around,” Horvat added. “He's just always so happy, always has a smile on his face. Just playing with him in Vancouver, he was just a joy to be around all the time.”