Lane Hutson Olivier Rioux photo stuns after Canadiens’ Game 3 win

lane hutson olivier rioux drew the eye after the Canadiens’ 6-2 Game 3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday. Olivier Rioux, the 7-foot-9 basketball player and Canadiens fan, was photographed with Lane Hutson outside the Bell Centre after the game.

The size gap was the story in plain view. Hutson stands 5-foot-9, while Rioux is 7-foot-9, and the photo made the contrast impossible to miss for anyone leaving the arena.

Olivier Rioux at the Bell Centre

Rioux attended Game 3 of the Canadiens’ second-round playoff series and was interviewed outside the Bell Centre by Kwabena Oduro of CBC Montreal. Oduro later wrote on X, “Easily then tallest person I’ve ever interviewed” and “Never felt so short in my life.”

That reaction fits a player who has spent years turning heads for his frame. At age 15, Rioux already stood 7-foot-5 and was named the tallest teenager in the world by Guinness World Records. He is a native of Terrebonne, Que.

Florida, NCAA records and UC-Irvine

Rioux’s basketball profile is just as unusual as his height. He was recruited by the Florida Gators, played two years there, and in his second season broke several NCAA records. He became the tallest person to ever play in a game and the tallest player to score a field goal, surpassing Paul Sturgess, who stood slightly over 7-foot-7.

Florida won the national title in 2025 while Rioux was a redshirt freshman and did not play. He appeared in 11 games for Florida, had a brief appearance in the first round of the NCAA tournament, and transferred to UC-Irvine last month.

Canadiens fans left with the image

The Canadiens had already taken control of the night with a 6-2 win, and the Rioux-Hutson photo gave the game a second, more unusual image to carry out of the building. Game 4 was set for Tuesday night at 7 p.m., with Game 5 scheduled to follow in Buffalo on Thursday.