Montreal Canadiens fans and followers were shocked Lane Hutson isn’t attending USA Hockey’s Olympic orientation camp, to say the least. "I don't understand this at all," Global TV Montreal hockey analyst Brian Wilde said on The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro [https://www.youtube.com/live/pjAp6ByXhjk?feature=shared&t=467] on Tuesday. "It's crazy. The Calder winner, the guy in the playoffs that (averaged) 25 minutes is the best Montreal Canadien [http://thn.com/montreal]." Added Habs fan Dustin Degree on X [https://x.com/DustinDegree/status/1957836192835101062]: "Not inviting Lane Hutson is ridiculous."https://x.com/DustinDegree/status/1957836192835101062 With the NHL’s participation in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games less than half a year away, Hutson was not among the 44 players attending the United States' orientation camp [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/usa-hockey-invites-44-nhl-players-to-olympic-orientation-camp-full-list]. Alex Vlasic and Jackson LaCombe were among the younger blueliners who are attending. Hutson, who ranked third among U.S.-born defenders in scoring last season, with 66 points, isn't. We have to say to those aggrieved Canadiens fans – chill out. Hutson's absence from the camp is not the end of the world, and even if he doesn't make the actual roster, it won't hinder his development as a budding NHL star. First of all, USA Hockey noted in its announcement that just because a player isn't attending the camp, it doesn't mean they're automatically removed from consideration for the Olympic roster. This camp is not a tryout; it is mainly happening to cover administrative topics and include some team-building activities. As Nazem Kadri noted to The Athletic when he wasn't invited to Hockey Canada's camp [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/canada-just-doesn-t-need-flames-nazem-kadri-at-the-olympics], there’s still a chance, however remote, that players can sway the opinion of Olympics GMs in their favor. That could easily be a great motivation for Hutson as he kicks off his sophomore NHL season. Canada Just Doesn't Need Flames' Nazem Kadri At The Olympics [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/d0077a06-8877-4f6d-aa39-5b96aef6714a.webp] Canada Just Doesn't Need Flames' Nazem Kadri At The Olympics With Hockey Canada’s Olympic orientation camp a week away, the debate continues about who should make the men’s squad. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/canada-just-doesn-t-need-flames-nazem-kadri-at-the-olympics] That said, look at the defensemen on America’s orientation camp list who are locks to make the team, and tell us who Hutson should be ahead of on the depth chart for the final roster. For the camp itself, if budding solid NHL blueliners Vlasic and LaCombe are attending, then Hutson should have been as well, unless he was invited but couldn't make it. The same goes with Washington Capitals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals] stalwart No. 1 blueliner John Carlson. But ultimately, when the United States' top defensemen are easily Vancouver Canucks [http://thn.com/vancouver] superstar Quinn Hughes, the Columbus Blue Jackets [http://thn.com/columbus]' Zach Werenski, Carolina Hurricanes [http://thn.com/carolina]' Jaccob Slavin, Boston Bruins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins]' Charlie McAvoy and New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers]' Adam Fox, there's only one spot really up for grabs on the left side. The Ottawa Senators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/three-ottawa-senators-named-to-u-s-olympic-orientation-camp]' Jake Sanderson and Vegas Golden Knights [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights]' Noah Hanifin are likely the front-runners for that spot after their time at the 4 Nations Face-Off. That group is an elite mix of offensive production from the back end and strong defensive play. Unless any of these players are injured, they likely wouldn't get worse enough by roster selection time for Hutson to leapfrog somebody on the Americans' depth chart. Even if Hutson ultimately fails to make it, does that take away anything from him or his career trajectory? Absolutely not. He’s the type of generational talent teams crave, and that’s not going to change. This was true of Chicago Blackhawks [http://thn.com/chicago] star center Connor Bedard when he wasn’t named to Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off squad. They have plenty of time to make the national teams later on when older players age out, and they continue to improve. USA! USA! Americans Embarking On World Hockey Domination [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/6beee60e-2feb-41af-8dda-40a38f079c25.webp] USA! USA! Americans Embarking On World Hockey Domination When USA defeated Sweden 5-3 in the gold-medal game of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup on the weekend, it marked the second time less than three months that the Americans have won a tournament that they traditionally almost never win. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/usa-usa-americans-embarking-on-world-hockey-domination] Ultimately, not being part of a team’s Olympic roster is definitely a snub, but that doesn’t mean it’s not warranted. The truth is there’s a plethora of talent on the United States, and there are precious few spots to accommodate them all. Canadiens fans may not be happy that Hutson isn’t on America’s orientation camp list, but he is very much a special player, and nothing that’s happened this summer, nor in the next season, is going to change that. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
