Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson reached a major career milestone on Tuesday night, recording the 100th assist of his NHL career during Montreal’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.
Hutson reached the milestone by setting up an Ivan Demidov goal, doing so in just 132 NHL games. That makes him the second-fastest defender in the league’s history to reach 100 assists, behind only Sergei Zubov, who accomplished the feat in 127 games.
In Canadiens franchise history, only Buddy O’Connor reached the milestone faster, in 129 games.
This performance highlights Hutson’s meteoric rise as one of the league’s most productive young defenders.
Early in his career, the 20-year-old has quickly established himself as a key offensive driver from the blue line. Hutson is known for his vision and puck movement. He plays a central role in Montreal’s power play and regularly creates scoring opportunities through his ability to control the tempo of the game.
Hutson was selected 62nd overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and almost immediately exceeded expectations.
After an excellent season, he was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2024-2025.
In 48 games this season, Hutson has recorded 47 points and leads all NHL defensemen in assists with 39, tied with Cale Makar.
