The National Hockey League have recognized Lane Hutson as the recipient of the 2022 E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence.
Hutson, the 25th-ranked North American Skater for the upcoming 2022 NHL Draft, was presented with the award during the second period of game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals in Tampa, Fla. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly was in attendance to personally bestow Hutson with an engraved NHL crystal.
The 18-year-old defenseman from Holland, Mich., was a part of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program Under-18 team this season. He recorded a team-high 53 assists in 60 games, along with ten goals. Hutson was also named Best Defenseman at the 2022 Under-18 World Championship, where he helped Team USA secure a silver medal.
E.J. McGuire was a former hockey coach and scout. He spent nine years in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau and was responsible for several advancements in the department, as well as the art of scouting as a whole. McGuire passed away from cancer in 2011.
The award, named in his honour, is annually presented to a candidate who "exemplifies a commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness, and athleticism."
“Lane Hutson is a worthy recipient of the 2022 E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence after exhibiting all the qualities recognized by this honor,” said Dan Marr, Director of NHL Central Scouting. "His passion for the game has earned him the respect of teammates and opponents alike – a special player who will find his way into an NHL line-up and be a positive influence for others along the way.”
In 2015, The E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence was awarded in its inaugural year to the Philadelphia Flyers' Travis Konecny.
Other past winners of the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence include: Neil Doef in 2016, the New Jersey Devils' Nico Hischier in 2017, the Humboldt Broncos team in 2018, Brett Leason in 2019, Zayde Wisdom in 2020, and most recently, William Eklund in 2021.
Hutson will also be recognized at the NHL Awards on Tuesday, June 21. You can watch live at 7 p.m. ET on Sportsnet.
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