Lane Hutson Wins Calder Trophy as NHL's Top Rookie

Lane Hutson Wins Calder Trophy as NHL's Top Rookie

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson has won the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL's most proficient rookie. Hutson dominated the voting by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, ahead of Dustin Wolf and Macklin Celebrini. Other NHL awards were also announced, including Nikita Kucherov winning the Ted Lindsay Award, Spencer Carbery the Jack Adams Award, and Aleksander Barkov the Selke and King Clancy Trophies.

By: Ralph Benjamin Cole

Posted On: Jun 11, 2025

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In a landslide victory, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson has claimed the coveted Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL's most outstanding rookie. The Professional Hockey Writers Association overwhelmingly favored Hutson, recognizing his exceptional debut season.


Hutson dominated the voting, securing 165 first-place votes out of a possible 191 and amassing a total of 1,832 points. Calgary Flames' goaltender Dustin Wolf and San Jose Sharks' center Macklin Celebrini trailed behind, earning 15 and 11 first-place votes respectively.


The 21-year-old Hutson was presented with the trophy during a surprise celebration orchestrated by his family, who had gathered to commemorate his nomination as a finalist. The festivities turned into a full-fledged victory party.


Hutson's rookie campaign was nothing short of spectacular. He led all first-year players with an impressive 66 points. Furthermore, his 60 assists tied a longstanding NHL record for rookie defensemen, previously set by the legendary Larry Murphy.


Celebrini, the 18-year-old Sharks prospect, also enjoyed a strong rookie year, appearing in 70 games and netting 25 goals, placing him second among rookies in that category behind Philadelphia Flyers' Matvei Michkov. His 63 total points tied with Michkov for second overall in rookie scoring.


Veteran goaltender Dustin Wolf, 24, posted a solid record of 29-16-8 with a 2.64 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage, and three shutouts for the Calgary Flames. The Flames drafted Wolf in the seventh round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.


Other notable NHL award winners this year include Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who received the Ted Lindsay Award for most outstanding player, and Spencer Carbery of the Washington Capitals, who earned the Jack Adams Award for coach of the year. Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers took home both the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward and the King Clancy Trophy for his humanitarian contributions. Sean Monahan of the Columbus Blue Jackets was awarded the Masterton Trophy for perseverance, and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals received the Mark Messier Leadership Award.

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