While Lane Hutson stole the spotlight by winning the Calder Trophy, he wasn’t the only Montreal Canadien to catch the eye of voters during this year’s NHL Awards. In fact, the 2024–25 season proved to be a breakthrough year not just for the organization’s youth movement, but also for the respect the team is earning across the league. From clutch goaltending to elite two-way play and gentlemanly conduct, several Canadiens picked up votes in key award categories, proof that this young core is beginning to make noise.
Let’s break down the players who received votes and what that recognition says about where the Canadiens are headed.
Samuel Montembeault
Though he didn’t take home the Vezina Trophy, Samuel Montembeault earned a well-deserved third-place vote, marking a career milestone. While a single third-place vote might seem modest, it signals league-wide acknowledgment of Montembeault’s progression from waiver claim to legitimate NHL starter.
This season, Montembeault posted a record of 31-24-7, with a .902 save percentage and a 2.80 goals-against average. He was particularly sharp in the second half of the season, giving the Canadiens a chance to win on most nights and stealing several key games against playoff-bound opponents.
Montembeault’s poise, athleticism, and ability to handle a heavier workload were on full display all season, even as the team rotated through injuries on the blue line. His progression mirrors the Canadiens’ rebuild: patient, steady, and undeniably trending upward. The third-place vote serves as a nod to that.
Lane Hutson
Hutson made history this year, becoming the first Canadien to win the Calder Trophy since Ken Dryden in 1972. But that wasn’t the only category in which he turned heads.
Hutson also finished ninth in Norris Trophy voting, awarded to the NHL’s top defenceman, a rare feat for a rookie. He received one third-place vote, five fourth-place votes, and an impressive 22 fifth-place votes.
Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
Hutson’s game is built on skill, vision, and creativity. He tallied six goals and 60 assists for 66 points in 82 games, leading all rookies and finishing among the top seven defencemen league-wide in scoring. He also quarterbacked Montreal’s top power-play unit and logged heavy minutes during key stretches of the season.
Related: Canadiens Prospects Not Named Demidov Who Can Be Calder Trophy Contenders
His Norris recognition is a statement: Hutson isn’t just a promising young player; he’s already among the league’s elite offensive defencemen.
Nick Suzuki
Nick Suzuki might still be underrated around the league, but this year’s voting results suggest that perception is changing.
In the Hart Trophy race, awarded to the league’s MVP, Suzuki finished ninth overall, receiving one first-place vote, one second-place vote, and nine fifth-place votes. Those votes reflect his value not just to Montreal, but within the NHL’s competitive landscape. His ability to log big minutes, drive plays, and produce offence made him the heartbeat of the Canadiens once again.
Suzuki finished the season with 89 points (30 goals, 59 assists) in 82 games, all while playing heavy matchups and leading one of the youngest rosters in the league.
His defensive prowess also earned him 13th place in the Selke Trophy voting, awarded to the best defensive forward. He picked up one second-place vote, two third-place votes, two fourth-place votes, and five fifth-place votes. While he didn’t crack the top 10, his presence among the league’s best two-way forwards continues to solidify.
Finally, Suzuki made a strong push for the Lady Byng Trophy, finishing fifth in voting. The award, which honours sportsmanship and gentlemanly play, saw Suzuki receive eight first-place votes, a clear recognition of his clean, disciplined play despite top-line responsibilities.
Cole Caufield
Though he didn’t finish near the top in any one category, Cole Caufield still earned a bit of league-wide attention. The young sniper finished 34th in Lady Byng Trophy voting, receiving two total votes.
While not groundbreaking, this recognition is interesting in the context of Caufield’s evolving game. Known primarily for his scoring touch, Caufield has made significant strides in becoming more responsible with and without the puck, taking fewer penalties and showing more maturity in tight-game situations.
It’s a minor detail, but in the big picture, it suggests that even Montreal’s most offensively tilted players are adapting to a more complete, team-first approach, something head coach Martin St. Louis has been emphasizing since his arrival.
The 2025 NHL Awards showed us something we haven’t seen in Montreal for a while: respect across the board.
Whether it was Hutson dazzling on the blue line, Suzuki anchoring every phase of the game, or Montembeault quietly proving his critics wrong, the Canadiens are turning individual growth into league-wide recognition. Even in an offseason without playoff success, the votes these players received show that Montreal’s rebuild isn’t just progressing, it’s producing stars.
