This offseason, the NHL has been in the business of surprises. Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov was given two awards by patients at a children's hospital he frequents. Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan received an award for perseverance from Meredith Gaudreau, the widow of his late teammate Johnny Gaudreau.

On Tuesday morning, the league announced its latest surprise recipient: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson.

Under the pretext of a party in Lake Barrington, Ill., to celebrate the defenseman being named a Calder Trophy finalist, Hutson's parents surprised him with the trophy itself—marking him as hockey's rookie of the year.

"To win rookie of the year award, I just feel really fortunate," Hutson said via the NHL's website. "I’m lucky to be part of the Montreal Canadiens and be a part of such a great support system with all my friends and family."

Hutson had an outstanding rookie season, scoring six goals and racking up 60 assists to rank ninth in the NHL. He helped the Canadiens catch fire toward the end of the season and finish with their best record since 2019.

Rounding out the top five of the Calder voting were Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf, San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini, Philadelphia Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov, and Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Canadiens Defenseman's Parents Surprise Him With Calder Trophy As Top NHL Rookie.

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