Michael Hage had himself quite a weekend against Penn State and Gavin McKenna.
Montreal Canadiens’ prospect Michael Hage and his Michigan Wolverines were taking on top draft prospect Gavin McKenna and Penn State this weekend in the NCAA. On Friday, the Wolverines won a shootout, 5-4, and got a 6-3 regulation win on Saturday.
Unsurprisingly, Hage played a big part in both wins. On Friday night, he gathered three assists, including one on the power-play, on Michigan’s four goals before scoring the eventual game-winning goal in the shootout. He also won three of his seven faceoffs. On Saturday night, he got two assists, one of which came on the power play, and won five of his 10 draws.
Hage is currently second in scoring on the team with 42 points in 30 games, one point behind T.J. Hughes. He’s also fourth in points per game in the NCAA with a 1.38 average. He leads the NCAA in assists per game, averaging 0.97 assists per game. Michigan is the highest-scoring team, averaging 4.68 goals per game.
It’s another good season for the 19-year-old lifelong Habs fan who was drafted 21st overall by his favourite team in 2024. Not only is he performing well, but he also led the World Junior Championship in scoring with 15 points in seven games, one point ahead of McKenna and two points ahead of standout defenseman and Calgary Flames prospect Zayne Parekh.
While there’s no confirmation that Hage will turn pro at the end of the season, when Kent Hughes is asked about him, it appears clear that the organization believes that he’s ready. Still, the decision is ultimately Hage’s, and since his season is not yet over, the team can’t discuss it with him just yet.
Michigan plays its last regular-season game on March 5, but the Big 10 Championship game is set for March 21, while the Frozen Four tournament will take place from April 9 to April 11. Given that Michigan is currently second in the Big 10 standings, it’s fair to say that the team will have big aspirations come playoff time.
Still, even if they were to make the Frozen Four final, the Canadiens’ season only ends on April 14th against the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Habs also have a game against the New York Islanders on April 12th. Both games are on the road, meaning Habs fans would have to wait until next season to see the youngster in action at the Bell Centre.
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