The Montreal Canadiens have locked up a cornerstone player for the next eight seasons.
Star defenceman Lane Hutson and the Canadiens agreed to an eight-year, $70.8-million contract extension, the team announced on Monday.
The extension, which begins next season, will pay Hutson an average annual salary of $8.85 million. It will run through the 2033-34 season.
"What it tells you about Lane Hutson is that he likes playing in Montreal and he wants Montreal to be in a position to win," Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said on Monday.
Hutson, 21, is the reigning Calder Trophy winner as the NHL's top rookie after a historic season in which he had six goals and 60 assists, becoming the first Canadiens player to win the award since Ken Dryden in 1971-72.
Hutson became just the fourth defenceman in the NHL’s modern era to lead rookies in scoring, joining Bobby Orr, Brian Leetch and Quinn Hughes.
His 60 assists were tied for the most by a rookie defenceman in NHL history, and no rookie, regardless of position, has had more helpers for the Habs in a single year.
With the move to extend Hutson, the Canadiens have locked up the majority of their core for the long term, with Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Noah Dobson and Kaiden Guhle all under contract until at least through the 2029-30 season.
"I had a conversation with Lane over the weekend. He talked about his view on things, and it struck me that he wanted to make sure we understood how much he wanted to be here and how hard he was going to work. I kinda cut him off and said, 'Lane, there wouldn't be an eight-year deal if we didn't believe in who you are at your core,'" Hughes said, referring to the negotiation process with his young star.
"The kind of person he is, how committed he is to being his best version of himself, but also being the best version of a teammate."
Hutson’s deal was a pressing matter for Montreal, as he was set to become a restricted free agent after the 2025-26 season.
"We were worried it might have an effect on Lane and on the team," Hughes said about wanting to finalize the deal. "We want to eliminate distractions — we wanted to do it before the season started."
Hutson was drafted in 2022 by the Canadiens in the second round, 62nd overall, out of the U.S. National Development Team. He went on to play two years of collegiate hockey at Boston University.
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