Hage delivers standout freshman year at University of Michigan

MONTREAL – Under the lights at Wrigley Field, Michael Hage didn’t just score—he put on a show.

His breakaway finish in Michigan’s outdoor game against Ohio State was a beauty in itself, but what followed is what really stole the spotlight. Dropping to his stomach, the Habs prospect mimicked a baseball player’s slide into second base while a teammate called him “safe.”

The lighthearted celebration was an ode to the historic Chicago Cubs ballpark, but in a way, it was symbolic. When the Canadiens selected the Oakville native 21^st overall last summer, they, too, signaled their belief that he was a safe bet for their future.

So far, he’s proving them right.

Just as he delivered in a big moment at Wrigley Field in early January, Hage has hit it out of the park in his first year of college hockey. The 18-year-old is second in scoring for the Wolverines—whose campaign now hangs in the balance—and ranks tied for fourth among all NCAA Division 1 freshmen with 34 points in 33 games this season, including four game-winning goals and a shootout decider.

“That's always the type of player I’ve wanted to be,” Hage told the Canadiens content team. “Someone who the guys can rely upon in the big moments to step up, make a play and break the game open.”

Still barely an adult, the 2024 E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence* winner is holding his own against the stiffer competition—on and off the ice—as he adjusts to life as a student-athlete.

“You definitely learn how to manage your time wisely. You don't want to be going into weekends stressed out about school, so it just kind of teaches you to get ahead of things and get your work done, so you can play stress free,” he noted. “Once you get to the rink, it's just the same game you've been playing, and you try to enjoy it.”

Hockey may be his main focus, but the teenager is making the most of his college experience. Hage says he and teammates took in Michigan football games at the "Big House" in the fall, and whenever he has the chance, he heads to Crisler Center to catch some of the Wolverines basketball team in action.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” he said. “All the teams kind of support each other.”

And for Hage, that sense of camaraderie extends well beyond Ann Arbor. The Habs hopeful keeps a close eye on the Canadiens any chance he gets, following the team’s rebuild as it takes shape.

“Whenever we have off nights and I get out of class or doing homework, we try to watch as much hockey as we can,” shared Hage. “It's been fun to watch them having some success and I'm hoping for them to get in the playoffs. They're young and they're skilled, so it's a lot of fun to watch.”

The Canadiens, in turn, are keeping close tabs on him. Montreal’s director of player development Rob Ramage, who oversees the team’s Junior and amateur prospects, has visited Hage three or four times this season.

“He gives me feedback, tells me what he sees in my game, and he’s been pretty happy with how things have been going. Other than that, I don't think they try to be too involved in what they're telling you or telling you not to do as a player,” said the 6-foot-1 centerman. “I went to dinner with him. He's a great dude and has a lot of really good stories, so he's been fun to get to know.”

As the Canadiens’ rebuild progresses, Habs fans are being introduced to more and more of those game-breaking players like Hage.

Lane Hutson, who graduated the collegiate circuit last year, is the latest high-profile prospect to leave his mark in Montreal, following in the footsteps of Cole Caufield—another NCAA alum who made an immediate impact in the NHL when he arrived on the big stage in 2021.

That trend hasn’t been lost on Hage, who views college hockey as a breeding ground for the sport’s top talent.

“I feel like when you can dominate a level as good as college hockey is right now, it proves that you're going to be alright at the NHL level,” he explained. “Obviously, it's a big adjustment; it's still very difficult, and those guys dominated at the college level before they left. But, at the same time, it's the reason why I took this path. You're playing against older, stronger guys. That's as close as you're going to get to pro hockey.”

For Hage, it’s not a question of if but when he makes that jump. Until then, his focus, he says, is on something that the University of Michigan hasn’t accomplished in three decades: winning a national championship.

That path became more challenging on March 9 when the Wolverines were eliminated from the Big Ten playoffs. Now, they’ll have to wait until Selection Sunday on March 23, hoping for an at-large bid to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

No matter what happens, Hage is determined to continue developing into the player he wants to be.

“I think using my skating and my size to not only create offense, but to be solid defensively and to be hard to play against on the forecheck are things that I continue to work on,” he said. That's the goal—keep getting stronger, be hard to play against and be someone that play in any situation.”

So far Hage is proving to be just what the Canadiens envisioned: a safe bet with high upside. But safe doesn’t mean conservative—it means reliable, competitive and capable of turning the tide of a game, exactly like a home run.

*The E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence is presented annually to the NHL Draft prospect who best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism.