Tournament scoring leader: Michael Hage on the WJC All-Star Team

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Tournament scoring leader: Michael Hage on the WJC All-Star Team
Credit: Getty Images

Michael Hage may not have been one of Canada's top three players(according to Hockey Canada and nobody else) at the World Junior Championship, but people of good faith know he was excellent.

How good?

Only one player (of all the guys in all the countries this year) got at least 15 points, and that's the Canadiens' first-round pick in 2024. His two goals and 13 assists (a record for a Canadiens prospect) earned him a spot on the tournament all-star team.

I'm sure the Canadiens' Canadian prospect doesn't care right now, given that he's probably still brooding over the fact that he didn't get a chance to win gold and has to settle for bronze.

But one day, he'll realize that he had an excellent tournament. Yes, he missed some big chances in the semi-final match, but we saw him dominate for several games. He has little to reproach himself for, which is not the case for many of his teammates.

He became the first Canadiens prospect in history to lead the tournament in points.

His 13 assists are almost a record for a Canadiens player (Connor Bedard had 14 in 2022-2023) and his 15 points make him one of the best players in the history of the tournament for Canada.

Of course, one holiday tournament doesn't make a career. Talk about Ryan Poehling, who was excellent at the CMJ, scored around 638 goals in his first NHL game… and became a very ordinary player afterwards.

But it's better to dominate than not. Right?

It's quite possible that, at the end of the season, Michael Hage will follow in the footsteps of Adam Engstrom, Jacob Fowler, Florian Xhekaj, and Jared Davidson by playing his first NHL game this season. Unless he goes to Laval after his university internship?

But in the meantime, I can't wait to see how his season ends.


overtime

– Sweden has won gold and Ivar Stenberg has won points in the eyes of scouts. Will he be the first overall pick next June?

– Of note.

– Transaction in the NHL.

– Really?

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