The truth behind Montreal Canadiens star defenseman Lane Hutson’s public snubbing from Team USA’s Olympic roster has surfaced.
In a bombshell report from RG Media published on August 23, Marco D’Amico detailed the revelations from an anonymous source indicating the reasons why Lane Hutson was left off the American roster at this month’s orientation camp.
D’Amico quoted an anonymous source, stating:
“He didn’t go to the World Championships; that’s the first part and that matters. I know that for both Canada and the United States, that weighs heavily on the decision-making because they have such deep talent pools. One could argue that they could both put together two squads and still compete for gold.”
Reading between the lines, if players don’t participate in the World Championships, they get shoved to the bottom of the pile. In contrast, other blue liners like Jackson Lacombe, Brady Skjei, and Alex Vlasic earned invites to Team USA’s camp.
They were part of this spring’s Team USA championship squad. They helped the US land its first gold medal since 1933 at the World Championships.
Now, does this mean Lane Huston will never make Team USA? Not necessarily. There’s still a chance he’ll make the squad. Injuries and poor performance could open up a roster spot for him this season.
But that remains a question mark given the reasons outlined by D’Amico’s source. So, fans should stay tuned because Lane Hutson could be on Team USA after all next February.
Size matters for Team USA, Lane Hutson at 2026 Olympics
Another key factor in the decision to leave Lane Huston off Team USA’s Olympic roster has to do with size. According to D’Amico’s source, the American squad is looking to favour larger defensemen over smaller, if more skilled ones.
This assessment makes sense considering Team Canada’s projected lineup. The Canadian squad will feature bigger, more physical forwards, with others like Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon oozing speed and skill.
The source stated:
“You look at the Four Nations roster and the heavy emphasis on size and being physical, and USA just didn’t want to overload on smaller players on the back end. Of course, one could argue there’s a strong case that they’re better off with Hutson than Luke Hughes, and I get that. But the only other small defenseman, Quinn Hughes, is arguably their best defenseman — at least offensively — and they’re not bumping him, obviously.”
Given that Quinn Hughes is a lock for Team USA, Hutson could be on the outside looking in despite his tons of skill and offensive prowess.
However, the American squad is gearing up for what looks like an epic showdown with Team Canada at some point. If the 4 Nations Face-Off was any indication, the 2026 Olympics will be a physical, grinding affair.
Team USA will do its best to be ready to face one of the most stacked Team Canada squads in a long time.