Catching up with… Lane Hutson

MONTREAL -- Lane Hutson was a standout at Development Camp and he continues to impress as a freshman at Boston University.

On Saturday night, the 18-year-old defenseman was the difference-maker for the Terriers against UMass Lowell with the game-tying goal late in regulation and the overtime winner in a 2-1 victory at Agganis Arena.

A second-round selection in July (62nd overall), Hutson has eight points (3 goals, 5 assists) in seven games.
We caught up with Lane heading into the series versus the River Hawks.
Here are a few highlights from our conversation:
Hutson on adapting to the NCAA game:
I feel really confident on the ice. I'm gaining a little bit more confidence with every practice and every game, and I'm looking to keep building. I play a pretty fast game, and everyone in the NCAA is fast and can really skate, so it's very competitive out there. I like that. When I move pucks quickly, I can really showcase what I can do offensively. Scoring that first college goal against UConn [on October 22] was a bit of a relief. It was just a broken play, but when the puck went in, I was like, 'Ok!' It was pretty exciting, and it was nice to have my parents in the building to celebrate the moment.

Hutson on the impact of the Terrier coaching staff on his play:
"Pando" [head coach Jay Pandolfo] does a great job with the team. He has great systems and holds everyone accountable. Coach Kim Brandvold has been great with me, too. He's trying to help develop me into someone who can play 30 minutes a night and to kind of do it without putting myself in vulnerable spots. He's trying to develop my game in every way possible. Coach Joe Pereira also has huge energy for our team. He loves being at the rink. It's a good mix of coaches. Right now, I'm playing maybe 23 or 24 minutes per game. That kind of confidence from the staff means the world to me, and I want to show them what I can do with that ice time.

Hutson on Development Camp serving as a springboard into college hockey:
It was definitely a boost, being around some really talented players and just competing against them for a few days. The opportunity to learn from one of the best skills coaches in the League in Adam Nicholas was a really good experience, too. There are so many different ways to play the game, and the way Adam sees it is so different from everyone else, not only the video that he shows, but the work he puts in. One thing I took away from our time together was the timing of plays and the development of plays, and how to create space for yourself. When I watch video now, I'm seeing the things that Adam was stressing when I was in Montreal in the summer.

Hutson on making key improvements both on and off the ice:
Anything I can do in the gym to add to my frame I've been doing. I want to get bigger, faster and stronger, and I just want to clean things up in my game that I feel need work. I'm focused on overall development. One thing I'm trying to improve is my technique for killing plays. Sometimes, I try to kill a play right away and overextend. That pulls me out of a good position. But, I feel like I'm getting better at keeping guys to the outside and being smoother on my kills. It's always good to have tight gaps as a defenseman, too, so I'm really emphasizing the importance of getting tight to guys so they don't have much space.

Hutson on taking pride in being a Terrier:
I love just being a part of a program with such great history. The team has been around for a very long time. You see all the great players who've come through here, and being able to play where these NHL players used to play is pretty cool. I'm also living with my brother, Quinn, and the rest of the freshman class on the team. It's a great experience. I always have him to lean on whenever I need help with anything, so it's making the transition to college a lot easier on me. Luke Tuch has been really good to me, too. He's another guy I can lean on for anything. He's always giving me advice, so he's really good to have here.

Hutson on being an Arber Xhekaj fan:
I love Arber's story and his nickname "Wifi." He's impressing me. He's stepping in and he's really protecting the skill players. I always love a guy like that. When I watch games, he really sticks out because he can throw pretty big hits, he always protects his teammates, and he's no slouch out there, either. It's exciting to watch him. Everyone knows Arber. He's getting a pretty big following now. Everyone's talking about him, so it's pretty cool to see.

Cover photo credit: Kyle Prudhomme
Photo credit: Matt Woolverton