Canadiens legend Ken Dryden sends a strong message to Lane Hutson for winning Calder Trophy

Montreal Canadiens legend Ken Dryden, the 1971–72 Calder Trophy winner, sent his congratulations to defenseman Lane Hutson on being named this year’s NHL Rookie of the Year.

Hutson put up an impressive 66 points in 82 games this season, leading all first-year players in scoring. He's the first Canadiens player to win the Calder since Dryden himself did so over 50 years ago.

In a statement, Dryden said:

"Congratulations, Lane. You were too small to make your mark, but then game after game you showed you weren't. Your team wasn't yet ready to compete, then, month after month, you showed you were. Now, you and your team are on your way.I can't wait to see what happens next. Go Lane Go! Go Habs Go!"

Lane Hutson beat out strong competition, including Calgary’s Dustin Wolf and San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini, earning a commanding 165 of 191 first-place votes from the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

He credited his success to the people around him, thanking his teammates and support network, saying:

"I just feel really fortunate and lucky to be part of Montreal Canadiens, and to be a part of such a great support system with all my friends and family.So, to be able to do what I love every day, it's been a dream."

Hutson’s 60 assists matched a rookie defenseman record that had stood since Larry Murphy had set it in the 1980-81 season.

Hutson's total of 66 points also placed him third in NHL history for rookie defensemen, with only Murphy and Brian Leetch putting up more in their debut seasons.

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NHL analyst Bryan Hayes on Lane Hutson winning the Calder Trophy

On TSN's Overdrive show on Tuesday, NHL analyst Bryan Hayes said that Lane Hutson was a major reason the Canadiens made the playoffs after missing for four straight years.

"Hutson by the end, I'd say by February you could tell this was his," Hayes said (39:57). "The amount of minutes he was playing, the points he was putting up and furthermore he was on a team like pushing them into the playoffs, you know which counts for something.”

“You don't necessarily hold it against the other guys, but he was a big reason why the Habs even made it you know in a market like Montreal where it's so crazy."

Hayes said that Lane Hutson played a crucial role in helping the Canadiens secure the final wild card spot. Despite a short playoff run, he believes Hutson stood out among this year’s top rookies and deserved the Calder Trophy.