Lane Hutson shares heartfelt message to Canadiens fans after signing $70.8M long-term contract with Montreal

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson shared a message to fans after signing a long-term contract. Hutson signed an eight-year, $70.8 million deal with the Canadiens. The contract starts in the 2026–27 season and will annually pay him a salary of $8.85 million.

In a video on X, Hutson thanked Canadiens fans for their encouragement.

"Salut. C'est Laine. I'm so happy to be here for the long haul. Thanks to the fans for all the support. Um, see you guys tomorrow at the Bell Centre for the home opener. Merci."

The Canadiens will host the Seattle Kraken at the Bell Centre on Tuesday, their home opener, after a 2-1-0 road trip. Local fans will get to see their team for the first time this season.

Hutson had a strong rookie season in 2024-25 with 66 points in 82 games. Since his extension is done, he will now get to put his full focus on this season. The Habs are looking to make a deep playoff run after qualifying for the playoffs last season for the first time since 2021.

"Nice to get a good bit of business done," Hutson said about his focus, via NHL.com, "For me, it's back to work and building my game."

Last year, Lane Hutson won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie. This year, he will look to keep contributing offensively from the blue line with his playmaking skills. It was something that stood out last season with 60 assists.

Lane Hutson has confidence in Montreal's playoff hopes

In the 2025 playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens were eliminated by the Washington Capitals in the first round, losing 4-1 in Game 5. They had qualified for the playoffs after a record of 40-31-11 in the regular season. Rookie Lane Hutson led Montreal with five points in the playoffs, all assists, but the team struggled to score outside their top line.

However, Hutson has confidence in the Habs' Stanley Cup win chances.

"I have belief that we aren't far off from being a team that can be a Stanley Cup championship team, and not just once," Hutson said, via NHL.com

Speaking about Hutson, Habs General Manager Kent Hughes praised his character.

"The kind of person he [Hutson] is, how committed he is to being his best version of himself, but also being the best version of a teammate," Hutson said. "That's important to us."

Going forward, Lane Hutson will continue developing as one of the team’s core players. The Canadiens are hopeful his presence helps the team compete for years.

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Edited by Ankit Kumar