“Maybe Michael Hage isn’t mentally ready to play for the CH”

Félix Forget
“Maybe Michael Hage isn’t mentally ready to play for the CH”
Credit: X

Michael Hage's situation has been drawing attention for the past few weeks. The CH prospect has decided to return to the NCAA next year… but there's a growing sense that this decision isn't necessarily set in stone.

Jeff Gorton has hinted that things could still change… and Hage, at the team's development camp, echoed that sentiment (though he clarified that he expects to return to the NCAA).

All of this is interesting given that many people expected to see Hage make the jump to the NHL at the end of last season. A late-season injury changed the landscape, but it feels like the kid is ready to play for the Habs.

But Eric Engels, appearing on the Sick Podcast, put forward another theory… one that has nothing to do with the young player's physical development:

Maybe Michael Hage isn't mentally ready to play for the Habs. – Eric Engels

We know that playing in Montreal—especially given that he's a highly anticipated prospect and the team is poised to turn the corner in its rebuild—comes with a ton of pressure. And even if Hage feels capable of playing in the NHL, perhaps he wants to make sure he's better equipped to handle the Montreal spotlight.

That could be part of the equation, even if it's not talked about as much.

It's possible, in fact, that the reason is something else entirely. Maybe Hage simply prefers to spend a little more time in the NCAA (to play with his brother and on a powerhouse team at Michigan) or feels that the NCAA is still the best place for him to develop.

But the mental aspect of it, as Engels mentioned, is an interesting theory. And if Hage and the Habs are okay with that, so much the better.


In a Nutshell

– A crazy comeback by Argentina to defeat Egypt.

– Signing in Anaheim.

– Another confirmed participant for the circuit competition.

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