Michael Hage won't be at the Montreal Canadiens rookie camp this week because he elected to play one more year in the NCAA. Clearly, he intends to make the most of his college experience.
Much has been made of Montreal Canadiens’ prospect Michael Hage’s decision to return to College to play another season with the Michigan Wolverines. Some worried it meant he didn’t want to play in Montreal and would wait to become a free agent before turning pro, but he has dismissed that concern outright.
As Hage explained during development camp last July, he wants to play another year to be one of those veterans who get more than the lion’s share of the work, the one who’s thrown into the action in the dying seconds of a game that’s a must-win. He also wants to take on a leadership role and help guide young players as they take their first steps into the NCAA, but above all else, he wants to be as good a player as he can be when he does join the Canadiens.
Photo credit: Michael Hage Instagram Account
The Wolverines’ first game of the season isn’t until October 2nd against Bowling Green, but everyone is already back on campus getting ready for the season. That also means bonding with your teammates off the field, and judging by Hage’s Instagram account this past weekend, they had a great time cheering on Michigan’s football team.
While Hage’s decision has been criticized by some, including BPM Sports’ Gilbert Delorme, who believes he should have turned pro and shown the Canadiens what he’s made of, he’s still only 20 years old. It’s hardly surprising that he wants the opportunity to have another go at a national title. Last year, he was hampered by a knee injury in the playoffs, and he couldn’t perform at his best. Now that he’s 100% and a year more experienced, he could be the difference-maker for Michigan. Perhaps he will be for Montreal too one day, but until then, he’ll keep enjoying the college experience, and Habs fans will need to be a little more patient.
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