Michael Hage, third-highest scorer in the NCAA

Maxime Truman
Michael Hage, third-highest scorer in the NCAA
Credit: Capture d'écran Twitter

When Kent Hughes decided to trade his 26th and 57th picks in exchange for the 21st pick in June 2024, many fans thought, “It's clear that this is to select Sacha Boisvert or Cole Eiserman.”

Except that Boisvert and Eiserman were selected 18th and 19th, respectively, and then we heard Michael Hage's name two spots later.
The Canadiens then leaked information to certain journalists and released a video of a pre-draft meeting confirming that Michael Hage was indeed the player targeted by Martin Lapointe, Nick Bobrov, and the Montreal scouts.

Hage had a good first season after the draft, racking up 34 points in 33 games in Michigan. After just three games in October 2025 and nine points to his name, it was already clear that he intended to do even better this season.

After 30 games, Hage has already scored 12 goals and 30 assists, eight points more than in the entire 2024-25 season. He also has a cumulative differential of +15, compared to -9 at the end of his first NCAA campaign.

It's hard to expect anything better from a player selected 21st overall…

In addition, Hage's incredible performance at the World Junior Championships is worth noting, as he racked up no less than 15 points in seven games to lead the Canadians to gold. With 15 points, Hage finished as the tournament's leading scorer and broke the record for most points scored by a Montreal Canadiens prospect. Last weekend, Hage completely overshadowed Gavin McKenna (Penn State), scoring five points in two games (one win and one tie). McKenna managed only one assist…

Hage was named first star of the week in the Big Ten division following his two games over the weekend.

Neither Boisvert nor Eiserman are having as good a season as Hage right now…

In fact, only two players have performed better since the start of the NCAA (Division 1) season: Ethan Wyttenbach and T.J. Hughes.

(Credit: NCAA)

Will Wyttenbach prevent Hage from emulating Cole Caufield by winning the Hobey Baker Award (given to the most valuable player in the NCAA)?

Maybe…

But no one will stop Hage from signing his first professional contract in March or April and then playing games in Montreal or Laval. The league where Hage will make his pro debut will depend on the results and health of the CH players. If it's loaded at the top, Hage will spend a few weeks in Laval, and that's it.

Currently, Hage's NCAA team is ranked second in the United States, and all signs point to a long road ahead in the division playoffs (Big Ten Championship), the regionals, and possibly the Frozen Four (April 9-11).

Hage still has a lot of college hockey to play before making the jump to the pros…

His mission to establish himself as the Montreal team's second center can wait a few more months.


In brief

– Love is in the air.

— Oliver Kapanen left out.

– Interesting.

– Note.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!