Hutson brothers meet for first time as Canadiens face Capitals
Key takeaways
- Lane and Cole Hutson face each other for the first time in the NHL.
- Montreal visits Washington on Wednesday night at 7:30 PM ET.
- Both brothers are young defencemen with big roles on their teams.
Two brothers will stand on opposite sides of the ice on Wednesday night. Lane Hutson plays for the Montreal Canadiens. Cole Hutson plays for the Washington Capitals.
It is the first time they face each other in the NHL. It is also the first time they face each other at any level of hockey. That is what makes this game special.
What happened
Montreal visits Washington on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. The puck drops at 7:30 PM ET at Capital One Arena. The game airs on MNMT in the Capitals region. Fans in Canada can stream it on Prime Video.
Fans in the United States can stream it on ESPN+.
Lane is 22 years old. He plays defence for Montreal. Cole is 20 years old.
He plays defence for Washington. Both are small, skilled, and fast with the puck.
The brothers grew up playing together. They both went through the US National Team Development Program. They both played two seasons at Boston University.
They were teammates there with their older brother Quinn.
But they never played against each other. Lane told the NHL it will be cool, but it is still just another game. He said the team needs wins.
Cole said it will feel a bit strange. He added that he has battled Lane his whole life. So he knows what Lane will do.
Their father Rob is not sure how it will feel to watch. He said this may be the only game he attends where he does not go home a winner. One son must lose.
He called that a win-win anyway, since both sons reached the NHL.
Why it matters
Brother matchups are rare in pro sports. They are even rarer when both brothers play the same position. Both Hutsons are defencemen.
Both run their team's power play at times. Both move the puck with skill.
Lane is the older brother with the bigger resume so far. He won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in 2024-25. He scored 66 points in 82 games that season. That means six goals and 60 assists.
He topped that mark last season. He scored 78 points in 82 games. That means 12 goals and 66 assists.
This season, he has four assists in five games.
Cole is earlier in his path. Washington picked him in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft. He was pick number 43. Lane was pick number 62 in the 2022 draft.
Cole joined Washington late last season. He scored 10 points in 14 games. That means three goals and seven assists.
This season, he has three points in five games. That means one goal and two assists.
Their styles differ a bit. Their father says Cole shoots more than Lane. Cole has a longer stride.
Lane has quick-twitch speed. Both see the ice well. Both handle the puck well.
Cole is more physical. Lane defends more with his stick and his brain.
The family story runs deep. Rob and Julie Hutson have four sons who play hockey. Quinn is 24. He is a forward with the Edmonton Oilers' AHL team in Bakersfield.
Lars is 17. He is a defenceman with Muskegon in the USHL.
Rob runs the Hutson Pro Hockey Academy in Barrington, Illinois. All four brothers train there in the summer. Cole says the summer sessions get intense.
He says the brothers fight, then push each other to get better.
Both teams need the win too. Montreal is 3-2-1 after six games. Washington is 3-3-0. Both teams played on Tuesday night.
Both travel into this game on the second night of a back-to-back.
Montreal beat Buffalo 4-3 in a shootout on Tuesday. Lane had a goal and an assist in that game. Washington lost 4-2 at Carolina on Tuesday.
The Capitals blew two leads in that game.
The Canadiens won their last meeting with the Sabres in a shootout, as covered in our recap of Canadiens beating Sabres 4-3. The Capitals also face a season of change, with star Alex Ovechkin playing his final NHL season.
Family news also hit another NHL star this week. Cale Makar missed a game as he awaited the birth of twins, as covered in our report on Cale Makar and his twins.
What happens next
The game on Wednesday is the first of three meetings this season. The teams meet again in Washington on January 19. They meet in Montreal on February 13.
That gives the brothers two more chances to face each other. The loser on Wednesday can seek payback in January. The winner will carry bragging rights until then.
Their father joked about that. He said the loser will not be happy. He said the sting will hang around until the next game.
That is how sibling rivalries work.
For Montreal, the key is to keep the foot on the gas. The team has led games and then eased off. That cost them goals against Buffalo.
The coaches want a full 60-minute effort.
For Washington, the key is to bounce back. The Capitals lost two straight games by more than one goal. They need a cleaner game at home.
They also need to protect leads.
Fans should watch the brothers when they share the ice. Watch who carries the puck. Watch who hits whom first.
Watch how each brother defends the other.
The matchup is also a test for Cole. Lane has two years of NHL time. Cole is still learning.
A strong game against his brother would prove he belongs.
What to watch
Watch the first shift. The brothers may line up near each other. That moment will set the tone for the night.
Watch the power plays. Both brothers help run their team's attack with the extra man. A power-play goal by either one would be a fun story.
Watch the final score too. One brother will win. One will lose.
Both will have a tale to tell at home.
The Hutson story is still early. Lane is a star. Cole is rising.
Wednesday night is one more chapter in a family that lives on the ice.
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