Photo credit: Hockey Patrol
Lane Hutson‘s dad Rob stirred the pot after his son wasn’t selected for Team USA’s Olympic camp, and Panthers forward Brad Marchand was less than impressed.
With the NHL back in the Olympics for 2026, all eyes are going to be on the biggest rivalry arguably in international hockey, that being the United States versus Canada.
Always a tightly contested and heated affair, we saw glimpses of how nasty things can get during the 4 Nations Faceoff where we enjoyed three fights in nine seconds in just the warm-up the Finals which saw Canada come out on top.But the Olympics are a different beast, and with the United States vying for international supremacy, they want to bring as much firepower as possible. Their defensive grouping is very solid, and includes some fantastic names such as Brock Faber, Seth Jones and Brett Pesce.
What Lane Hutson’s Father Said to Spark the Reaction
One name omitted from the festivities was Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, who was suprisingly snubbed from appearing, and is unlikely to make the squad.
His father Rob wasn’t too happy either, and decided to stir the pot a bit with his comments towards his son’s potential Olympic hopes. Speaking on the situation, the elder Hutson made a very interesting point:
You never know what happens in the future. My boys are also Canadian.
It’s like a reverse Jeremy Roenick and Brett Hull, where the American would instead swap sides and suit up for the red and white.
How Brad Marchand’s Viral Response Had NHL Fans Talking
Not everyone was pleased however, as Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand preferred that Rob stayed far away from things, and to maybe focus on the reality of things as he relayed to Lane on social media:
The fans were also seemingly in agreement with Marchand, and preferred Hutson keep his thoughts to himself.
However one fan put it best, and perhaps Marchand saw a bit of foresight when it comes to Hutson and the comparisons to Paul and Mitch Marner.
Marchand doesn’t want any distractions during the biggest tournament in the world, and the potential for Hutson’s camp to complain about a lack of playing time or what they feel as disrespectful treatment is only going to take away from Canada’s goal of a gold medal.
It’s also one of the rare times that you will see fans in agreement with Marchand, and it seems that his status as a Canadian has softened fans’ stance on him given how important he could be for the red and white.
There’s nothing wrong with Hutson, and he is going to be one of the stars of the league for years to come. But he’s probably going to detract more than he adds to the Canadian side, and Marchand is trying his best to keep him and his dad far away.
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