The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston announced Thursday that Boston University freshman defenseman Lane Hutson is the recipient of the 71st Walter Brown Award, presented annually to the best American-born NCAA Division I college hockey player in New England.
Hutson earned a slew of honors in his first season on Commonwealth Avenue. He is the first defenseman ever to lead Hockey East in scoring, tallying nine goals and 25 assists in league play. He was a unanimous choice for the first all-star team and the conference’s rookie of the year. The Terriers won both the Hockey East regular-season and playoff championships. They will face Minnesota in the semifinal round of the Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla., on April 6.
Nationally, Hutson ranked seventh overall in scoring with 15 goals and 33 assists for 48 points in 38 games. He was the nation’s top-scoring defenseman and was named a semifinalist for the Hobey Baker Award. A resident of North Barrington, Illinois, he was selected in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens.
“Congratulations to Lane on winning such a prestigious award,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo said in a news release. “There were many deserving candidates for this honor, and for Lane to stand out as he has is a testament to his talent as well as to his work ethic and competitiveness. What Lane has achieved is even more impressive when you remember he’s only a freshman and he’s playing as a defenseman in arguably the best conference in college hockey.
“Our whole program is proud of Lane for what he’s accomplished in such a short timeframe here at BU, and we’re excited to share in his continued success.”
Pandolfo received the Walter Brown Award in 1996 when he led BU to the Hockey East regular-season title and was named the league’s player of the year.
The two other finalists from the field of 25 semifinalists were Quinnipiac sophomore forward Collin Graf and Harvard junior forward Sean Farrell. Graf ranked third in the nation in scoring with 20 goals and 36 assists for 56 points. Farrell was right behind him at fourth in the nation with 20-33-53.
“While it is highly unusual for a freshman to be considered for the Walter Brown Award, sometimes a candidate is so outstanding that the choice in as easy one,” said committee chairman Tim Costello. “That was the case with Lane Hutson. But you have to go back 36 years, to 1987, before you find another first-year player, Brian Leetch, who subsequently went on to an 18-year NHL Hall of Fame career.”
The nation’s oldest nationally-recognized college hockey honor, the Walter Brown Award was established in 1953 by the members of the 1933 Massachusetts Rangers, the first American team ever to win the World Championship Tournament. Brown coached the Rangers to the title in Prague, Czechoslovakia, where the team defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime in the championship game.
The Walter Brown Award will be presented at the New England Hockey Writers’ annual event on April 19 at Prince Restaurant in Saugus, Mass.
