Excitement and speculation are reaching a fever pitch among Montreal Canadiens fans as the NHL’s awards season approaches, with all eyes fixed on Lane Hutson and the coveted Calder Trophy. The anticipation is palpable, not just because Hutson has delivered an extraordinary rookie campaign, but also due to the league’s new and somewhat mysterious process for revealing award winners. This year, the NHL’s approach has led to a series of leaks and cryptic hints, fueling rumors and debates across social media and fan circles.

Recently, a now-deleted—and then reposted—NHL social media post featuring Hutson has only intensified the conversation. Every small detail is being dissected by fans desperate for clues, especially after similar leaks appeared to reveal other award winners ahead of schedule. Amid this frenzy, Lane Hutson’s remarkable achievements, including his 60-assist season that ranks him among the best rookies in NHL history, have made him a standout candidate. As the hockey world waits for the official announcement, the possibility of Hutson being named Rookie of the Year is generating both hope and controversy, making this one of the most closely watched award races in recent memory.

Photo of Lane Hutson and Macklin Celebrini

Photo credit: NHL

The National Hockey League has been keeping fans of the Montreal Canadiens and Lane Hutson waiting for quite some time.

We’re all eagerly anticipating whether Hutson has been named the NHL’s 2025 Rookie of the Year (Calder Trophy).

That said, due to the league’s new process for announcing award winners, there have been some leaks..

We can think of the Hart Trophy, for instance, which may have already been accidentally revealed to be awarded to goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

And there’s also what was revealed a few days ago by NHL Chief Content Officer Steve Mayer:

In short, fans have just noticed another intriguing clue.

An NHL Post Featuring Lane Hutson Raises Eyebrows

It might not seem like much, but as you can imagine, every sign is being scrutinized.

The NHL made the following post-then deleted it..

And then the post was put back up afterward!

One thing’s for sure: we’re really looking forward to getting the answer, because it would be truly special to see Lane Hutson win that honor.

“Just to add some context:

Lane Hutson’s 60 assists last season place him 7th all-time among NHL rookies.

He also holds the third-highest number of assists in a rookie season among all active players, behind Mat Barzal and Sidney Crosby (63).”

– HabsOnReddit

Yes, he really did have an exceptional rookie season!