Hutson Wins The Rookie Scoring Race
The NHL season is officially over, and after the Montreal Canadiens won their playoff race, rookie blueliner Lane Hutson won the rookie scoring race. Against all odds, the five-foot-nine offensive defenseman who slid down to 62nd overall in his draft because of his size took the NHL by storm and outscored the competition.
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Before the 2024-25 campaign, most hockey pundits agreed that Macklin Celebrini was the favorite to win both the rookie scoring race and the Calder Trophy, but six months on, one has to admit things didn't unfold as planned.
The Habs' rearguard had an exceptional season, scoring 66 points in 82 games, while the San Jose Sharks center put up 63 in 70 games, and the Philadelphia Flyers' right winger Matvei Michkov got 63 in 80 games.
Even though he was the only one to play all 82 games of the regular season, the win is impressive considering he's a defenseman and not a forward. Furthermore, it took some time at the start of the season before he was finally put on the Canadiens' first power play unit, stealing the job from Mike Matheson.
Considering 40% of his points came on the power play, it's hard not to wonder how much more he would have had if the move had been made earlier. 35% of Celebrini's points were obtained on the man-advantage while only 27% of Michkov's were scored under similar circumstances.
Thanks to his 66 points, Hutson set a new record, becoming the most productive rookie defenseman in franchise history. His 60 assists also tied Larry Murphy's NHL record for most helpers by a defenseman established in 1980-81.
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Canadiens' fans now eagerly await the Calder Trophy winner announcement. It has been a very long time since the storied franchise had the rookie of the year in its ranks. It was 53 years ago that rookie goaltending phenom Kent Dryden won it, the Canadiens are way overdue.
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