2017 Draft: Nicolas Hague has first hat trick

Defenseman Nicolas Hague and right wing Owen Tippett, A-rated prospects on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list for the 2017 NHL Draft, combined for five goals and seven points to help Mississauga to an 11-3 win against Guelph at Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, on Wednesday.
Hague (6-foot-5, 206 pounds) had the first hat trick of his hockey career and also had an assist. Tippett (6-1, 202) had two goals and one assist.
"It was pretty special, that third one (2:38 into the third period) was kind of a knuckle puck, so it was up on its side and dipped down into the net," Hague told NHL.com. "It was weird. You don't normally see a shot like that and everyone was asking me, 'Where did that come from?'

"It was cool to score three, and I couldn't get the smile off my face."
Hague leads Mississauga with five goals, and is second with eight points and 20 shots on goal in seven games. Tippett is tied for second with three goals and tied for third with seven points.
"He's a big defenseman who is a fluid skater," Central Scouting's Matt Ryan said of Hague. "He moves the puck extremely well, enabling his team to create a ton of offense. He shows an ability to run the power play and has an excellent shot that he gets through with consistency."
Mississauga, which has won two straight games, plays at Flint on Friday and at Saginaw on Saturday.