This image of Canadiens’ Lane Hutson and NCAA basketball player Olivier Rioux is impossible to believe

The Montreal Canadiens truly unearthed a gem when they selected defenseman Lane Hutson in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft. He became the first Canadiens player since the late Ken Dryden to take home the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2025, and followed that campaign up with another productive year.

Playing in all 82 games in his sophomore season, Hutson increased his point total from 66 to 78, having scored 12 goals with 66 assists, and so far through 10 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he’s scored twice while adding seven assists for the Canadiens, who currently enjoy a two games to one series lead over the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference Semifinal.

But a recent photograph of him standing next to the 7’9″ Olivier Rioux, who currently plays for the UC Irvine Anteaters, needs to be seen to be believed. The NCAA center, who hails from Quebec, is literally two feet taller than the 5’9″ Hutson:

Lane Hutson et @Oli_Rioux

Un match de basketball 1-1 ensemble après la saison! #GoHabsGo @CanadiensMTL @ChantalMachabee pic.twitter.com/XZ7PTELjrA

— Peter Yannopoulos (@PeteYannopoulos) May 11, 2026

During Montreal’s 6-2 win over the Sabres on Sunday evening, Hutson racked up a pair of assists for his first multi-point game of the playoffs. He’s also reached the scoresheet in eight of Montreal’s 10 postseason games so far.

Game 4 between the Canadiens and Sabres is scheduled for Tuesday evening at Bell Centre before the series once again shifts back to Buffalo’s KeyBank Centre for Game 5. Needless to say, picking up a win for Buffalo is imperative to avoid falling into a situation in which they have no choice but to win three straight to avoid elimination.

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