Earlier this summer, Team USA announced a 44-player roster that was invited to its orientation camp ahead of February’s Olympic Games in Milano Cortina. That roster included 16 defensemen, but one big name was missing: the Montreal Canadiens’ offensive dynamo, Lane Hutson.
The youngster put on a brave face when he was asked about being left out of the invitees at his fundraising event with Hush. earlier this month. Taking the high road, the blueliner said there are plenty of great players on Team USA and he wishes them the best. Like every Canadiens’ player, the 5-foot-9 rearguard has been trained in handling questions from the press, and he’s learned very well, but his father didn’t get that training.
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Appearing on Grant McCagg’s new regular podcast called HabsCast, Hutson’s father more or less issued a threat to Team USA, saying:
Listen, and you never know what happens in the future. Like my boys are also Canadian. So you know, there is an absolute luxury there, and a lot of great players have been left off the selection for the Olympics and things like that. I think Brett Hull might have been one of them. He voted with his feet, he went from Canada to the US. Like there’s all types of scenarios that are, I wouldn’t say in play, but are possibilities.- Rob Hutson on his son's dual citizenship
If Hutson was indeed left off the American roster to send him a message about not playing for the USA at the World Championship when the Canadiens were eliminated from the playoffs, his father just sent his very own message there.
It’s clear from his statement that the Hutson clan isn't considering this option at present, but it seems they will explore it in the future if the youngster continues to be overlooked by the American camp.
While it’s understandable that the American brass believe Hutson is surplus to requirements, given Quinn Hughes' similar role as an undersized offensive defenseman and his more advanced development, not inviting him to orientation camp seems ill-advised, to say the least. Hockey is a rough sport, and injuries often happen. While no one wishes an injury on the Vancouver Canucks’ captain, he was unable to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off for that very reason.
Erring on the side of caution would have been smart on Team USA’s part. While there’s no denying that the Americans went for a very rough style at the 4 Nations, they may not be able to play like that at the Olympics. The NHL referees won’t be the sole officials present at the games, and typically, the officiating is less lenient at the Olympics.
Professional athletes of dual nationality are free to choose which country they wish to represent. Back in 2019, tennis great Naomi Osaka decided to renounce her American citizenship and represent Japan at the Olympic Games (Japanese law requires people of dual nationality to choose one nationality before they turn 22; failure to do so results in loss of Japanese nationality).
In readiness for the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, 11 Canadian players applied for Chinese citizenship: Parker Foo, Spencer Foo, Jason Fram, Luke Lockhart, Paris O’Brien, Ryan Sproul, Ethan Wereck, Tyler Wong, Brandon Yip, Zach Yuhen, and Ty Schultz. There were also seven Americans on the side, with Chris Chelios’ son Jake being the biggest name on the roster.
While athletes switching nationality is not unheard of, I would be surprised to see Hutson head down that road. The defenseman spent two years in the US National Development Team program and represented Team USA at the World Junior Championship twice. His brother Cole also spent two years in the USNTDP and played for Team USA at the latest World Junior Championship (he's now a Washington Capitals prospect). Older brother Quinn never represented any country before joining the Edmonton Oilers, but he played his minor hockey in the USA as well. As for his younger brother Lars, he played his last season with Team Illinois 16U AAA.
So while seeing Hutson play for Team Canada could be a possibility down the line, the level of commitment the family has had to USA hockey makes me think he wouldn’t be doing it happily. It’s worth noting that Team Canada also boasts an excellent defensive corps. Still, their primary offensive weapon, Cale Makar, is not undersized, making it potentially easier to add Hutson to the roster, although it wouldn’t be a foregone conclusion either.
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