Canadiens Prospect Shines In Season Opener
Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael Hage stole the show in his first game of the season with the Michigan Wolverines.
Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael Hage started his third season in the NCAA with the Michigan Wolverines last night and delivered a strong performance. The 20-year-old, an alternate captain this year, skated on the team’s first line with Will Horcoff and Jayden Perron. The Wolverines easily beat the Bowling Green Falcons 7-2.
Bowling Green did its best to hang on and went back to the dressing room tied 1-1 after 20 minutes, but after 40 minutes, Michigan had taken a stranglehold on the game with a 4-1 lead. It didn’t get any better for the visitors in the final frame, as they allowed three more goals.
The centerman was named the first star of the game after scoring two goals and adding an assist. He also won 13 of 21 faceoffs, for a 62% success rate. When he announced last spring that he would not join the Canadiens yet, the youngster vowed to improve and be as ready as possible for the NHL when he makes the jump.
The two teams will face off again on Saturday at 6:00 PM, and the Wolverines will be looking to build on their impressive start to the season. As for Hage, he couldn’t have asked for a better debut, and it’s the dominant performance he should be producing as a junior. It’s his third year in the NCAA, and by now, he knows everything there is to know.
Some argue his development would have been better served by jumping to the pro level, but the youngster felt another year in College was the right path. Ultimately, that’s his decision, and he may be better suited to NHL action after another year of seasoning in the NCAA; we’ll know somewhere in April.
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