A leading Canadiens possibility simply may match the present Montreal star’s accomplishment when the Hobey Baker Award is distributed in April.
Michael Hage, who chose to return for a 3rd season at Michigan instead of turn professional after last season, leads the NCAA in scoring. He has 20 points(4 objectives, 16 helps)in simply 9 video games heading into a two-game set versus checking out Penn State this weekend.
“He’s finding ways to take over games,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato stated in a telephone interview today. “The production’s going to exist. We spoke about the 200-foot video game, faceoffs are enhancing and he’s got, what, 20 points in 9 video games and we still desire more– indicating he desires more.
“He’s just continuing to work every day and it’s been cool to see the hunger.”
The seeds for this season’s hot start were planted in the summer season after the playmaking centre did some tough rehabilitation to recuperate from a late-season ankle injury.
The injury kept Hage out of the very first video game of the NCAA champion competition. He then was at less than 100 percent for a win over Minnesota-Duluth and a double-overtime loss to ultimate champ Denver in a Frozen Four semifinal, and was restricted to one help in the 2 video games.
A first-round choice (21st general) by the Canadiens in 2024 and the leading scorer for Canada at last year’s world junior champion, Hage began this previous off-season in Ann Arbor before returning home to operate in a training group headed by Milo Athletics strength coach and program director Bryan Marshall. The on- and off-ice sessions consisted of NHLers like Josh Anderson, Sean Monahan, Nazem Kadri and Matthew Schaefer.
“Those guys are obviously elite talents,” the six-foot-one, 200-pound Hage, 20, stated today. “If you can take anything from those guys, push yourself and have to play against them, it’s obviously going to feel a little bit easier when you come back to play against college players.”
Going back to Michigan looked like the ideal relocation for Hage after the frustrating end to last season.
The opportunity to be in the group management group as an alternate captain and deal with his total video game and strength and conditioning in a superior setting interested Hage.
“It was definitely a hard decision,” he stated. “I believe that there’s a great deal of things that entered into it at the time. I was likewise handling a little an injury. Losing (in the Frozen Four) and not getting the outcome we desired belonged to it. Seeming like I would have had the ability to do more if I was healthy. If things ended up various, perhaps that choice was various.
“But the biggest part was just I wanted to be a part of this group and have a chance to win this year and continue to work on different areas of my game.”
The Wolverines (8-1), including 5 first-round NHL choices in addition to predicted 2027 No. 1 Landon DuPont, are ranked 2nd in the nation.
Hage has actually played the majority of the season on a line with Carolina Hurricanes third-round choice Jayden Perron (2nd in the NCAA with 19 points) and Pittsburgh Penguins first-rounder Will Horcoff.
“Being a leader isn’t just wearing a letter on your jersey,” Naurato stated. “He’s having hard discussions with his peers. He’s held to a greater requirement to carry out on and off the ice in a way of life that is what Michigan desires and how he wishes to represent the Hage name. I believe there’s more responsibility to that. Expectations are greater.
“You know, if we don’t play well, he’s the first guy I’m going to go after. He’s accepted that. I think he’s grown up a lot. And like any 20-year-old, there’s a lot more to go and I’d bet on him that he keeps getting better and better.”
Group results, instead of private stats, are the focus for Hage.
With 9 nationwide titles in program history, Michigan is 2nd to just Denver (11 ). The Wolverines have not recorded the champion considering that 1998.
“The main thing is to win,” Hage stated. “My goal is to try to come out here every night and help us do that. I wouldn’t say there’s a number (of points that is a goal). I think I’ve gotten better at how I observe and watch my games after and really judge how I played, not just based on points. It definitely is nice to get the results, but I think it’s just kind of coming from playing my game and the team winning.”
The next couple of months might be really interesting for Hage
He’ll play in the Spengler Cup in Switzerland for the U.S. Collegiate Selects over Christmas– “that’s a pretty sweet spot in a tournament you hear about (growing up),” Hage stated.
In February, the Wolverines play an outside video game versus top-ranked Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. There is every factor to think Michigan will be one of 16 groups in the NCAA nationwide champion competition before Hage figures to turn professional and possibly gets a playoff appearance with the Canadiens.
“(Canadiens fans) should be really excited,” Naurato stated. “They must be delighted about the hockey gamer for sure. They need to be delighted about the individual and his enthusiasm and love for Montreal.
“That’s a hard league. You hear like, ‘(he might be a) second-line centre.’ If Mike can go and assist them at the end of the year, whether that’s 10 minutes a night or 20 minutes a night, I believe that’s all Mike wishes to do.
“I think there’s no ego with Mike. He’s got the swagger and confidence of any young player. But he’s going to be a worker and he’s going to be a good teammate throughout that process.”
Games to enjoy
Brantford Bulldogs (13-5-1) at Guelph Storm (16-3-0), Friday, 7:07 p.m.
The league-leading Storm deal with a Brantford group that seems a leading Eastern Conference competitor. The Memorial Cup-host Storm got leading defenceman Vladimir Dravecky (New York Islanders) from Brantford in an off-season offer.
Red Deer Rebels (12-4-3) at Medicine Hat Tigers (11-5-1), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. ABT
Red Deer’s Poul Andersen (undrafted) and Beckett Hamilton (Colorado Avalanche) got in the week 1-2 in WHL scoring. They square off versus the leading 2 scorers from last season– Medicine Hat twin bros Markus and Liam Ruck (both Pittsburgh Penguins selects).
Rimouski Oceanic (9-6-3) at Saint John Sea Dogs (11-5-2), Sunday, 2 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. AST
2 towering 2027 NHL Draft first-round potential customers fight it out– six-foot-six Rimouski centre Maxmilian Mares and six-foot-four Saint John centre Alexis Joseph.
Merrimack Warriors (6-1-2) at Providence Friars (6-2-0), Friday, 7 p.m. ET
Video game of a home-and-home series in between Hockey East competitors. Merrimack’s Trevor Hoskin (Calgary Flames) and Providence’s Logan Sawyer (Montreal Canadiensare the leading scorers for their particular groups.
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