Lane Hutson's father, Rob, had some choice words for USA Hockey's Olympic general manager, Bill Guerin, for omitting his son from the team's orientation camp in August.
"Personally, from my (viewpoint), yeah, I think he should've been invited," Rob Huston said on the "Recrutes Habscast."
"Our family as a whole has made a big commitment to USA Hockey throughout the years. I don't know what Bill Guerin was thinking. I don't know him, and he obviously doesn't know Lane."
USA Hockey invited 44 NHLers to attend its off-ice camp, including 16 defensemen. Lane, the NHL's reigning Calder Trophy winner, was arguably the most surprising omission. However, he's still eligible to make the Olympic team, despite missing the orientation camp.
"People don't always make the right decisions," Rob said. "We have to live with how they see it; we don't have to agree with it, but obviously, this fuels anyone if you're as competitive as Lane is."
Lane recorded 66 points last season for the Montreal Canadiens, the fourth-most by a rookie defenseman in NHL history. The 21-year-old also tied for sixth among all blue-liners in points and ranked tied for second in assists to finish ninth in Norris Trophy voting.
The dynamic 5-foot-9 defenseman has represented the United States several times on the international stage, most notably helping the Americans win gold at the 2024 World Junior Championship.
However, Rob noted that all four of his sons - Quinn, Lane, Cole, and Lars - could theoretically play for Team Canada. While the Huston brothers were born and raised in the United States, they hold dual citizenship, with Rob hailing from Canada.
"You never know what happens in the future," Rob said. "My boys are also Canadian. There is an absolute luxury there."
