The Canadiens have signed defenseman Lane Hutson to a three-year entry-level contract

The Montreal Canadiens have signed defenseman Lane Hutson to a three-year entry-level contract, the NHL team announced Friday.

The 20-year-old from Holland, Mich., has 15 goals and 34 assists in 38 games with the Boston Terriers, and his 49 points are tied with Denver's Zeev Buium among NCAA defensemen.

The five-foot-10, 162-pound defenseman was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top player in NCAA men's hockey, and was named to the Hockey East's first all-star team for the second straight year. .

Internationally, Hutson helped the United States win gold at the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship and bronze at the 2023 tournament.

Hutson was selected by the Canadiens in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft.

Montreal plays the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, followed by back-to-back games against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday and Tuesday. The Canadiens say Hutson will join the team on Sunday.

This Canadian Press report was first published on April 12, 2024.