Michael Hage opened his third NCAA season in style, and the Montreal Canadiens prospect wasted no time making his presence felt for Michigan.
The 20-year-old centerman, now wearing an alternate captain’s letter, lined up on the Wolverines’ top line with Will Horcoff and Jayden Perron and helped power Michigan to a 7-2 win over the Bowling Green Falcons on Friday night.
The game was tight early. Bowling Green managed to stay level after one period, with the teams heading into the intermission tied 1-1. Michigan then took control in the second, stretching the margin to 4-1 after 40 minutes before adding three more goals in the third.
Hage finished as the first star after scoring twice and setting up another goal. He also went 13-for-21 in the faceoff circle, good for a 62% success rate.
That kind of night fits the standard Hage set for himself when he said last spring that he would not be joining the Canadiens yet. He said then that he wanted to keep improving and be as ready as possible for the NHL when his time comes.
Michigan and Bowling Green will meet again Saturday at 6:00 PM, and the Wolverines will be looking to keep the momentum rolling after a convincing opener.
For Hage, it was about as strong a start as he could have asked for in his junior year. It’s his third season in the NCAA, and by now, he knows everything there is to know.
There are still those who believe his development would have been better served by turning pro sooner, but Hage felt another year in college was the right move. That call is his to make, and the next checkpoint will come sometime in April, when we’ll have a better sense of where he stands for the jump to the NHL.
In Other News...
Canadiens Fans May Hate What A Zibanejad Push Could Cost
The Canadiens search for a long-term answer down the middle is already one of the louder background stories around the organization, and Shayne Gaumond recently pushed it into even sharper focus by floating Mika Zibanejad as a possible No. 2 center by the time the playoffs arrive. The appeal is easy to understand from Montreals side: Zibanejad would instantly change the shape of the forward group, and his ties to president Jeff Gorton and Rangers winger Chris Kreider give the idea a familiar human thread beyond the usual trade-board speculation.
Still, this is the kind of move that only starts to make sense if Montreal proves it belongs in the contender conversation first. A player of Zibanejads stature would not be a casual add, and the Canadiens would have to show real traction before a deal of that magnitude could ever come into view. For now, the story is less about a finished path to Montreal than about how much the organization may need to gain, and risk, if it wants to chase one of the leagues bigger-name fixes at center. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Prospect Michael Hage Is Making One Decision Look Very Smart
Michael Hages decision to return to the University of Michigan instead of signing his entry-level contract with Montreal already looks like a savvy one. After an ankle injury late last season left him limited during the NCAA playoffs, the Canadiens prospect came back for his junior year with something to prove, and he has wasted little time showing why patience was the right call.
Hage has opened the season in strong fashion, giving Michigan a major boost in the first two games and quickly reestablishing himself as one of the teams key players. For Montreal, it is the kind of early return on investment that matters even before he ever puts on a Canadiens sweater, with his development now trending in exactly the direction the organization wanted. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Just Got An Unexpected Shot At Center Depth
An unexpected center option has suddenly reached the market, and it could be the kind of opportunity front offices monitor closely. Calgary placed Connor Zary on waivers, opening the door for any NHL team looking to add depth without giving up assets, and that naturally puts Montreal in the mix as clubs weigh whether a young pivot can help stabilize the middle of the lineup.
Zarys profile is what makes the situation interesting. The 25-year-old former first-round pick has already shown he can produce at the NHL level over 192 games, which gives him a track record that goes beyond a flyer or a pure depth gamble. For the Canadiens, a claim would come down to whether they see him as a useful fit right away, because once a player with that rsum is available, the chance does not tend to linger for long. [Read more 🡒]