Ben Hutton

Ben Hutton (born April 20, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hutton was selected 147th overall in the 5th round of the 2012 NHL entry draft by the Vancouver Canucks, with whom he played the first four seasons of his NHL career, and has also played for the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Hutton won the Stanley Cup with Vegas in 2023.

Hutton played Junior A in the Central Canada Hockey League before attending the University of Maine, where he earned All-Hockey East First Team honours. Internationally, he won gold with Team Canada at the 2016 IIHF World Championship.

Playing career

College Hutton played for the Maine Black Bears in the NCAA Men's Division I Hockey East conference. In his second year, Hutton's outstanding play was rewarded with a selection to the 2013–14 All-Hockey East first team.

Professional Vancouver Canucks (2015–2019) Hutton signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks on March 16, 2015, after finishing his college career at the University of Maine. He made the Canucks' opening-night roster for the 2015–16 season and recorded his first NHL point in his debut on October 7, 2015, against the Calgary Flames.

Hutton lead all Canucks defencemen in scoring during his rookie season with 25 points in 75 games. At the conclusion of the season, he was awarded the Walter "Babe" Pratt Trophy as the team's most outstanding defenceman. Following his successful rookie campaign, Hutton was named to Team Canada for the 2016 IIHF World Championship, where he won a gold medal.

Over the next three seasons, Hutton remained a consistent fixture on the Canucks' blue line, appearing in 276 total games for the franchise and logging significant minutes in a top-four defensive role before becoming a free agent in 2019.

Los Angeles Kings (2019–2020) On September 17, 2019, Hutton signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract as an unrestricted free agent with the Los Angeles Kings.

During the 2019–20 NHL season, Hutton established himself as a reliable veteran presence on the Kings' blue line, appearing in 65 games and recording 16 points. He ranked among the team's leaders in blocked shots and average time on ice (TOI), frequently playing over 18 minutes per game in a top-four pairing role before the season was truncated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He provided defensive depth for the Ducks, appearing in 34 games and recording five points while logging steady minutes in the bottom pairing.

Toronto Maple Leafs (2021) On April 12, 2021, Hutton was acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs at the NHL trade deadline in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick. The acquisition was intended to bolster the team's defensive depth ahead of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs. Hutton made his debut for the organization in a 4–1 victory against the Vancouver Canucks and provided experienced coverage on the blue line for the duration of the regular season schedule.

Vegas Golden Knights (2021–present)

On October 28, 2021, Hutton signed a one-year contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. He recorded his 100th career NHL point on March 4, 2022, in a victory over the Anaheim Ducks, and signed a two-year contract extension the following day.

During the 2022–23 NHL season, Hutton was a member of the Golden Knights team that won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Florida Panthers in five games. He appeared in two series-clinching victories during the playoff run against the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers. Following the championship, he brought the Stanley Cup to his hometown of Prescott, Ontario.

On December 22, 2023, the Golden Knights signed Hutton to a further two-year contract extension. In the 2025–26 NHL season, Hutton saw an increase in offensive production, recording 6 goals and 15 points through 53 games, his highest goal total since the 2018–19 season.

International play

Hutton represented Canada East at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge in Langley, British Columbia. He scored a goal and two assists in four games as Canada East won silver, losing to Canada West in the gold medal game.

Hutton represented Canada national team at the 2016 IIHF World Championship, alongside Vancouver Canucks teammate Christopher Tanev. Hutton won a gold medal in the tournament as Canada defeated Finland 2–0 in the final.

Personal life Hutton is married to Emma Hutton; the couple wed in 2024. They have one daughter, Honey, born in October 2025. He is the son of Jim and Janet Hutton and has one sister, Maggie. He owns two dogs, Scout and Franny.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2008–09 Kemptville 73's CJHL 4 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2009–10 Kemptville 73's CJHL 60 16 18 34 6 4 0 0 0 2 2010–11 Kemptville 73's CCHL 61 8 27 35 28 — — — — — 2011–12 Kemptville 73's CCHL 35 7 20 27 25 — — — — — 2011–12 Nepean Raiders CCHL 22 4 12 16 6 18 5 8 13 6 2012–13 University of Maine HE 34 4 11 15 18 — — — — — 2013–14 University of Maine HE 35 15 14 29 8 — — — — — 2014–15 University of Maine HE 39 9 12 21 14 — — — — — 2014–15 Utica Comets AHL 4 1 0 1 2 — — — — — 2015–16 Vancouver Canucks NHL 75 1 24 25 14 — — — — — 2016–17 Vancouver Canucks NHL 71 5 14 19 31 — — — — — 2017–18 Vancouver Canucks NHL 61 0 6 6 23 — — — — — 2018–19 Vancouver Canucks NHL 69 5 15 20 43 — — — — — 2019–20 Los Angeles Kings NHL 65 4 12 16 14 — — — — — 2020–21 Anaheim Ducks NHL 34 1 4 5 11 — — — — — 2020–21 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 4 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2021–22 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 58 3 10 13 32 — — — — — 2022–23 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 31 3 5 8 6 2 0 0 0 0 2023–24 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 41 2 8 10 17 1 0 0 0 0 2024–25 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 11 0 2 2 0 — — — — — 2025–26 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 55 6 9 15 19 7 0 1 1 4NHL totals 575 30 109 139 210 10 0 1 1 4

International

Awards and honours Award Year RefCollege All-Hockey East First Team 2014 AHCA East Second-Team All-American 2014 NHL Stanley Cup champion 2023 Vancouver Canucks Babe Pratt Trophy 2016