If someone is able to grasp the magnitude of what Lane Hutson has succeeded this season, in particular by breaking the record of Chris Chelios for the most points for a recruit defender with the Montreal Canadian, it is … Chelios himself.
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The former star defender experienced a mixture of emotions on Monday evening. He first saw his record of 64 points at his year recruited being officially beaten when Hutson became an accomplice of the equalizing goal of Juraj Slafkovsky at the end of the third period, before seeing the Blackhawks, the team for which he works as an ambassador, winning him in a play -off.
Obviously, Chelios saw only a few Hutson games this season and, once again on Monday, his skills skipped him.
“His skate and, obviously, his skills and his vision are what sets him apart,” launched Chelios on the phone. When you are small, you must be smarter than the others. He is not physical, but very intelligent and he will be even better. A bit like me when I started, his defensive game needs to be refined, but it’s normal. It took me a while before I understand how to play the position. ”
A long scarcity
But beyond what all the lovers of the Canadian have seen evening after the evening since the start of the season, another aspect impresses particularly Chelios: the character’s force of the Canadian’s little 48.
Because, too, at his year recruited in 1984-1985, he had to deal with comparisons and a record hunt.
-And it didn’t necessarily go well.
“I played and I didn’t think of the records at all. Then, a few weeks before the end of the season, I had told me about the record of Larry Murphy [pour le plus de points par un défenseur recrue dans l’histoire avec 76]. From this moment, I had collapsed! I started to think too much and I finished the year on a long scarcity, ”said the one who had completed his first season with 64 points in 74 games.
“For his part, it does not seem to affect Lane. The Canadian fights for a place in series and he seems to have understood that he must focus first and foremost on his defensive game. ”
He deserves the calder
Despite his exceptional season in 1984-1985, Chelios had not even won the Calder trophy given to the recruit par excellence in the NHL.
Rather, the honor had gone to a certain Mario Lemieux who, at 18, had scored 100 points in 73 games.
But, this year, Chelios does not see who will be able to downgrade the little defender of the CH.
“The goalkeeper [Dustin] Wolf de Calgary is experiencing a very good season, but I think Lane will win the Calder. And I’m not saying that because of the points, but because it was an important part of the team’s successes. ”
