Larry Robinson roots for a record break that would rewrite Canadiens history

For Larry Robinson, the number is simple: 66. That is the Canadiens defenceman assists mark he set in 1976-77, and now he is openly hoping Larry Robinson will be the name attached to the old record only until Lane Hutson clears it. With three games left, Hutson has 63 assists after being kept off the scoresheet in Thursday night’s 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Bell Centre.

Verified fact: Robinson said by phone from his winter home in Florida that he hopes Hutson breaks the record. Informed analysis: the significance is larger than one milestone. It is a public endorsement from one Canadiens legend to another rising defenceman, and it comes from the player whose season still stands as one of the most dominant in team history.

What is being protected: a record, or a legacy?

The central question is not whether Hutson can reach the mark; it is what Robinson’s reaction says about the way Canadiens history is being handed forward. Robinson did not defend the record as untouchable. He called it one he did not even remember he had, then said it was fine if Hutson takes it.

That matters because Robinson’s own record came in a season when the Canadiens finished 60-8-12 with a plus-216 goal differential and went on to win their second of four straight Stanley Cups. In that same season, Robinson also set the club record for points by a defenceman with 85, including 19 goals. The scale of that team underlines how rare the performance was. Yet Robinson is not framing Hutson’s chase as a threat. He is treating it as validation.

Why does Robinson think Hutson can do it?

Robinson’s support is not sentimental; he ties it to what he sees on the ice. He said he watched Hutson last season and thought he was special, but believes he is playing a more complete game now. He pointed to Hutson’s defensive work, his intelligence, and the way he handles criticism about his size.

Robinson also drew a direct contrast with his own era. He said Hutson plays all the power plays, while Robinson did not. He recalled that in 1976-77, Guy Lapointe played most of the power plays and Robinson was more often used as a penalty-killer. That comparison is important. It suggests the two seasons are not identical opportunities, even if the record chase is real.

Robinson was especially emphatic about one recent sequence. He praised Hutson’s role on the play that led to Nick Suzuki’s goal late in the third period Tuesday night against the Florida Panthers, saying Hutson took off “like a torpedo, ” kept his head up, read the ice well, and made great passes. In Robinson’s words, Hutson is “the total package” if he stays healthy.

Could Hutson have played in Robinson’s era?

That question is where the discussion turns from nostalgia to judgment. Robinson rejected the idea that Hutson is too small to have survived the Canadiens’ 1970s dynasty against physically punishing opponents. He said good players with those hockey skills can play anywhere because hockey smarts cannot be taught; they are part of a player’s DNA.

He also argued that Hutson would have been protected by stronger teammates around him. Robinson, listed at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, said he would have been one of those players. When asked whether he would have liked to play alongside Hutson, Robinson answered yes. That is not a casual compliment. It is an acknowledgment that the young defenceman’s value would translate across eras.

Verified fact: Hutson is 22 years old and sits at 63 assists with three games left. Verified fact: Robinson is 74 and set the assists record in 1976-77. Informed analysis: the exchange works because the older standard-bearer is not guarding his place. He is measuring the player in front of him and finding him worthy.

What does this say about the Canadiens now?

Robinson’s comments on Martin St. Louis extend the same idea from player development to coaching. He said he is very impressed with the job St. Louis has done since taking over four years ago. He described the Canadiens as exciting, refreshing, and fun to watch, and said the players seem to like playing for him. He even admitted to watching more Canadiens games this year than in the previous five years combined.

That praise is tied to results. The Canadiens moved into fifth place in the overall NHL standings with a 47-22-10 record after beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 Thursday night and had already clinched a playoff spot for the second straight season. Robinson said the team is going to scare a lot of people in the playoffs.

The pattern is clear: Robinson is endorsing a generation shift. He sees it in Hutson’s game and in St. Louis’s coaching. He also places that shift inside the values that shaped his own career — intelligence, preparation, and the ability to keep playing with joy.

Accountability question: if a Canadiens icon who owns the assist record is willing to root for it to fall, what excuse is left for treating the record as untouchable? The evidence here points to a simple conclusion: this is not a defense of the past, but an invitation to let the present prove itself. And if Larry Robinson is willing to say that aloud, the rest of the hockey world should take Larry Robinson at his word.