Subban's bond with Montreal remains strong through Canadiens' playoff run

MONTREAL -- Retired defenseman P.K. Subban was back in his first NHL home over the weekend, in a suite at raucous Bell Centre for Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning.

With a few days off between studio assignments as an analyst for ESPN's Stanley Cup Playoff coverage, Subban headed straight for Montreal, his beloved adopted city where he played the first 434 games of his 834-game NHL career. 

A "die-hard, all-in Canadiens fan," he proudly admits, Subban was in the house for Montreal's 3-2 overtime victory in Game 3 on Friday, then Tampa Bay's 3-2 come-from-behind win in Game 4 on Sunday.

The best-of-7 series returns to Tampa Bay for Game 5 on Wednesday (TBD) with Game 6 in Montreal on May 1. You can be certain that Subban will keep a close eye on it.

P.K. Subban chats with Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson after Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Tampa Bay Lightning; and Hutson when Subban photographed him on the arena scoreboard during the national anthems before Game 4.

Like many others, the Canadiens' second-round pick (No. 43) in the 2007 NHL Draft has been dazzled by the consistently excellent play of Montreal defenseman Lane Hutson, the 2025 Calder Trophy winner voted as the NHL rookie of the year.

Through four games, Hutson has played an average of 28:29, fifth-highest in the playoffs. He's scored two goals, including overtime of Game 3, and has two assists, 11 shots on goal (one fewer than team leader Juraj Slafkovsky) and 10 blocked shots.

It wasn't Hutson's dramatic Game 3 winner, a 49-foot slap shot through a forest of bodies at 2:09 of OT, that most impressed Subban. Rather, it was the 22-year-old's rock-solid work on defense that caught his eye.

"The first thing I said to Lane after the game on Friday was, 'I'm just so happy with the game that you played,'" Subban said in conversation a few hours before Game 4. "You didn't open the game up. You were patient, you waited for your opportunity.'

Lane Hutson salutes fans after being named first star of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"Lane is a guy who can do a lot out there but with the kind of team he's on, he doesn't have to. He doesn't necessarily need to open the game up and getting a guy to understand that is exactly why I want to talk about (Canadiens coach Martin) St. Louis. I really believe that Marty's done a phenomenal job with this group. You can see how far he's come as a coach, his growth, his understanding of how to deal with players, getting the most out of them. 

"As a coach, you have failed if you don't squeeze every drop of juice out of every player. That's your job, to get the best out of everyone. Marty understands that. I'm impressed by it because it's usually veteran coaches who have been around the game for 20 or 30 years who know how to do that. 

"You have to earn the respect of the players first, then know what to say and when to say it. Marty seems to have a firm grip of understanding how to get through to these guys. They want to play for him, you can see that."

Voted winner of the 2013 Norris Trophy as best defenseman, Subban is still adored in this city, a colossally popular player whose No. 76 jersey is still worn by fans nearly a decade after he was traded to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber in a June 29, 2016, exchange that shook Montreal to its core.

P.K. Subban is honored by the Canadiens before a game against the Nashville Predators at Bell Centre on Jan. 12, 2023.

He went on to play 211 games over three seasons for the Predators, then another 189 in three seasons for the New Jersey Devils, his 12 full NHL seasons yielding 467 points (115 goals, 352 assists) and another 62 points (18 goals, 44 assists) in 96 playoff games. 

The Canadiens saluted him with a "Homecoming Night," on Jan. 12, 2023, Bell Centre showing its very loud love during a pregame celebration.

Shuttling these days from his birthplace of Toronto to other homes in Montreal and New York, Subban is constantly on the go. He can't walk a step in this city without being stopped for photos and autographs, the bonds he established as a player still strong, his charitable foundation work ongoing at the Montreal Children's Hospital, where an atrium is named in his honor.

Sunday was the 16th anniversary of Subban's first NHL playoff game, called up on the morning of Game 6 against the Washington Capitals in the 2010 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. He had two games of NHL experience.

P.K. Subban, with the 2013 Norris Trophy won as the NHL's best defenseman, and Lane Hutson with the 2025 Calder Trophy given to the League's top rookie.

Facing elimination, down 3-2, Subban subbed for ailing defenseman Jaroslav Spacek, played solidly in a 4-1 win backed by goalie Jaroslav Halak's 53-save performance, then was part of a 2-1 series-clinching victory in Washington two nights later.

After veteran Andrei Markov, Montreal's power-play quarterback and anchor on defense, went down with a torn ACL in Game 1 of the conference semifinals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Subban's workload increased and he never looked back, sticking with the Canadiens for the 2010-11 season and beyond until his trade to Nashville.

The playoff debut anniversary wasn't on his calendar, but Subban was pleased to be reminded of it, recalling the event in the finest detail. He spoke of being told the night before by Guy Boucher, his coach with Hamilton of the American Hockey League, that he was being called up, of a 5:30 a.m. wakeup call the next morning for a game-day flight to Montreal, and of his wide range of emotions having just won a Calder Cup Playoff series to now suiting up for the Canadiens in an elimination game.

Sixteen years later, Subban was eager to discuss Hutson, the 5-foot-9, 162-pound second-season defenseman who skips around the ice like a water bug, twirling and pirouetting, rushing at high speed and finding passing lanes unlike anyone with the Canadiens since Markov.

ESPN's P.K. Subban prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game at TD Garden in Boston on Feb. 20, 2025.

Hutson's OT goal in Game 3 was a rocket, almost impossibly picking the far-side upper corner behind Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who might still be looking for it through the maze of players who were clustered in front of him.

"Lane had a remarkable game -- a big, big goal. That was a big-time play," Subban said. "I was just amazed by how he played all night. I can't say enough about his game right now and where he's at. I watched the way he shot it, through traffic, watched the way he loaded up while he was spinning. I think Vasilevskiy thought he going to go short side. Maybe he was fooled by Lane shooting back into the traffic through two or three bodies.

"Lane might have thought, 'I'm probably not beating him straight up from the blue line and he's not expecting me to shoot against the grain through the traffic.' That's what defensemen at that level are going to do. They're going to put themselves in positions that are the highest percentage for them to generate offense. That's what makes Lane great. He can make plays that others can't make, plays that are going to give himself a higher percentage of creating something.

Lane Hutson defends against Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli behind Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Bell Centre on April 24, 2026.

"They're the things I notice. Every time I ask 'why?' about Lane, I get the answer pretty quick, and I understand why he did it. He has a great shot that's going to improve but now he's using it as a weapon and he's gaining confidence in it.

"I like his patience and the poise, and I really think that comes from Marty, who played with so many great players. I'd love to know the conversations he has with Lane, love to be privy to that, because I've seen the growth in his game."

If Hutson doesn't have a president for his fan club, Subban wouldn't be a bad choice. He spoke glowingly of Hutson's defensive plays being the highlight of Game 3, one of the best players on the ice with or without the winning goal.

"The Canadiens struggled to get their offense and speed going at different times, but Lane was so steady back there," Subban said. "I watched every single defensive shift he had and he was a stud.

P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens skates against the Washington Capitals in Game 7 of the conference quarterfinals during the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center in Washington, DC. The Canadiens defeated the Capitals 2-1 to win the series.

"He's not the biggest guy but man, he competes. That's what I love about him. He leads with his heart and his passion and his drive. I'm always willing to ride with a guy like that. The sky's the limit with Lane. He plays with a little chip on his shoulder. He's got that confidence and the ability. He has the talent level to be that guy, and I was very happy for him."

Casting a wider net, Subban is delighted for the entire Canadiens organization and its fan base, which is riding the wave of an exciting team that has great potential this playoff season and well into the future.

"This is a really, really fun moment for the players," he said. "You have to expect the unexpected because they're young, they have energy and a bit of experience. There's that drive that's been nourished properly by Marty St. Louis. You can just see that the guys have taken on his competitive spirit and a bit of his persona. 

"It's exciting for me to be able to enjoy it this way and see people gravitate to this team to bring that energy. It still amazes me, the energy in this city every time I'm here."

P.K. Subban and Mark Messier on the set of ESPN's "The Point" on Dec. 12, 2023.

Subban flew back to New York early the next morning for his next ESPN studio assignment, Game 4 of the first round between the Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Mammoth on Monday (9:30 p.m. ET; Utah16, SCRIPPS, ESPN, SN360, SN, TVAS, CBC) with the Mammoth leading the series 2-1. Cheering on the Canadiens, at least in spirit, will be Subban, who still has a healthy flow of red, white and blue blood in his veins.

"It's a great time to be in Montreal," he said. "I'm happy to be able to enjoy it, to see the players go through it, to meet their families, see them experience the dream that I got to live in Montreal. It's a special thing, a special place. To see guys in the heat of it now is really cool.

"The Canadiens are a team that people are going to latch onto for a long time. They deserve it, it's not being given to them. They're earning it and rightfully so."

Top photo: P.K. Subban takes a selfie of himself with longtime friends Christopher O'Sullivan (background) and Sean Ober at Montreal's Bell Centre before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round on April 26, 2026.