Michael Hage will not be joining the CH: he will play in the NCAA next season

Félix Forget
Michael Hage will not be joining the CH: he will play in the NCAA next season
Credit: onhockeytv

For nearly 48 hours now, Michael Hage has been eligible to sign his entry-level NHL contract. The forward's NCAA season has come to an end, and he can now make the leap to the pros.

And in fact, we expected to see him make that leap, whether in Montreal or Laval. Except that…

In the last few minutes, Marco D'Amico reported that, at this moment, the idea of Hage returning to play another year in the NCAA is still on the table. We're currently evaluating the scenarios on the table, and the option of another year in the NCAA hasn't been ruled out.

And when you read what D'Amico reports, the idea of him signing with Montreal seems harder to imagine. Right now, finding him ice time wouldn't be easy. Remember: at the moment, Zachary Bolduc and Brendan Gallagher are depth players.

That said, Laval is still an option on the table. But in reality, another year of dominating the NCAA with a strong team at Michigan (where even more reinforcements are expected this summer) could be the path he chooses.

One has to wonder if this news isn't part of the ongoing negotiations between Hage and the Canadiens. That said, D'Amico insists that the relationship between the player and the team is in good standing.

But in reality, if he's injured right now and the team is having trouble finding a spot for him in Montreal, it wouldn't be surprising if his NHL debut were pushed back to next year.

Remember that in 39 games this season, Hage has scored 13 goals and 52 points. He's pretty much broken every record in the NCAA… but that might be the best way to ensure he gets plenty of ice time next year.

Stay tuned, then.


In a nutshell

– Oh?

– It starts tonight.

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