“Michael Hage is wasting his time in the NCAA”

Marc-Olivier Cook
“Michael Hage is wasting his time in the NCAA”
Credit: Capture d'écran | Twitter

Michael Hage is off to a strong start to the season in the NCAA.

An excellent start to the season, in fact.

The Canadiens prospect has racked up 14 points (including three goals) in his first seven games of the season. And so far, he seems to be too good for the American college circuit.

This has led Renaud Lavoie (TVA Sports) to say that, right now, Hage is wasting his time in the NCAA.

It's not crazy: when a player competes at a level that seems too easy, he can't necessarily work on his weaknesses and improve as a hockey player.

And it really does seem like that's the case with Hage right now. 

Renaud Lavoie and JiC explain it well: the problem is that instead of being able to develop with an organization that helps its young players improve—like the Canadiens—Hage is playing in a league that's below his level of talent.

And that's why Renaud Lavoie suggests this might be a missed year of development for the young player. 

Basically, Hage wanted to return to Michigan for a few reasons: to work on his game… and, above all, to have the opportunity to play with his brother. Except his brother isn't playing in Michigan this season—he's with the Niagara IceDogs in the OHL (and he hasn't recorded a single point in ten games since the start of the season).

Personally, I'm mostly wondering how the Canadiens view this whole situation.

Because no matter how much management says they support Hage 100%, it's clear they'd much rather have him in Montreal right now. The young player would have an important role at center for the Canadiens, and with Nick Suzuki's injury, one can't help but think this might be a HUGE missed opportunity for the Canadiens' prospect…

Does this change anything in terms of his status within the organization? Does this mean he's less untouchable than before?

I'd be curious to hear HuGo's take on this!


In a Nutshell

– His turn will come.

– These guys are funny.

– Yeah.

– That's part of the game.

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