The four NCAA teams headed to the Frozen Four in Vegas are now known, and the Montreal Canadiens will have three prospects participating.
The die is cast, and the four Frozen Four semi-finalists are now known. Three Montreal Canadiens prospects will take part in this year’s tournament set in Vegas: Michael Hage with the Michigan Wolverines and Sam Harris and Quentin Miller with the Denver Pioneers.
After missing the first round of the Albany Regional on Friday, Michael Hage returned on Sunday as Michigan took on the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, but since he was returning from an injury, he was listed as the 13th forward and saw limited ice time, pivoting the third line at times and playing on the first power play unit. The Wolverines took a three-goal win in the first frame but had a good scare in the third when the Bulldogs scored three goals. Michigan hung on for a 4-3 win. Hage will now have 10 days to heal his injury before the semi-final in Vegas.
Meanwhile, Sam Harris scored the first goal of the Loveland Regional final, and his Pioneers beat the Western Michigan Broncos 6-2. As for Miller, he was once again the backup for starter Johnny Hicks.
The Wolverines and the Pioneers will now face each other in the national semi-final on April 9, hoping to book a place for the April 11 final. The other semi-final will see the North Dakota Fighting Hawks take on Cole Caufield’s alma mater, the Wisconsin Badgers.
This means that Hage cannot sign with the Canadiens before April 10th, at the very least, and, if Michigan makes the final, until April 12, if he decides to make the jump to the pros now. Given the fact that he’s currently dealing with an injury, that’s not a bad thing. The Canadiens have yet to book their place in the playoffs, and with the stakes so high, it wouldn’t be the ideal time to bring Hage into the lineup, especially not when Montreal has won its last five games; you don’t change a winning formula.
By the time the Frozen Four tournament is over, the Canadiens will have only two away games left: one against the New York Islanders on April 12 and the other against the Philadelphia Flyers on April 14.
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