Montreal Canadiens' prospect Michael Hage couldn't suit up for the Michigan Wolverines on Friday, but his team did make it through to the second round, just like Sam Harris and Quentin Miller's Denver Pioneers.
The first round of the Frozen Four NCAA hockey tournament was played over the last two days, and while there was some good news for Montreal Canadiens prospects, one of them received particularly bad news.
While Michigan Wolverines coach Brandon Naurato had said that he expected Michael Hage to be ready to go for the first round of the Frozen Four after an injury scare in their last game, the Habs prospect was unable to suit up for his team’s game against the Bentley Falcons yesterday.
Even without Hage, the Wolverines pulled off a 5-1 win over Bentley and will now face Minnesota Duluth, who beat Penn State and Gavin McKenna (who was minus-three on the night) 3-1, on Sunday at 5:30 PM. With such a quick turnaround, it would be surprising to see Hage in the lineup, but if Michigan is victorious, he’ll have 10 days’ rest before the semifinals in Las Vegas, which will take place on April 9.
Meanwhile, Habs’ prospects Sam Harris (who scored a goal) and Quentin Miller (who wasn’t in net) of the Denver Pioneers signed a 5-0 win over Alexis Cournoyer and the Cornell Big Red, meaning Cournoyer’s season is over. Harris, Miller, and the Pioneers will take on Western Michigan at 3:00 PM on Sunday.
As for goaltender Emmett Croteau, his season came to a halt when the Dartmouth Big Green was defeated 5-1 by the Wisconsin Badgers. The Habs prospect saved 23 of the 26 shots he faced, but the Badgers added a couple of empty netters, which explains the final score. Logan Sawyer’s season also ended in the first round when the Providence Friars lost 5-2 to the Quinnipiac Bobcats. As for Jack Smith and his Minnesota State Mavericks, they also crashed out of the tournament with a 3-1 loss to the Western Michigan Broncos.
In other words, of the seven Canadiens’ prospects who entered the tournament, only three are still standing: Hage, Harris, and Miller. At least their two teams aren’t facing off in the second round, but if both make the semi-finals, they would be on a collision course. We’ll know on Sunday night if that is the case.
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