Feel good stories write themselves every year in hockey, it is one of the many reason why hockey is such a great sport. This was especially true for the Montreal Canadiens when their second first round selection rolled around.
Michael Hage, a childhood fan of the Montreal Canadiens was waiting in the crowd and hoping for the Canadiens to call his name. The NHL recently released a video with all kinds of behind-the-scenes NHL draft stuff and Hage was in the video. Hage lost his father in a freak accident a year ago and while he sat in the crowd, he asked his mom if she thought the Habs would take him.
He followed that up by saying it would be a dream and Nick Bobrov announced the pick, which made the kid's dream come to reality. Hage wanted to go to Montreal, and it's hard to imagine a story that has more of a feel-good vibe than Hage pulling on the Canadiens sweater. But what's more, is that Kent Hughes traded up for the pick that was used to draft Hage.
The dream came true for Hage, but what's next?
There were rumblings that if Hage had not dislocated his shoulder, he would have been a top-10 selection in the 2024 draft. But Hage underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum limiting him to just 13 games in his USHL rookie year. Prospect analyst Steven Ellis suggested that Hage's injury which dealt a hit to his development, caused him to slide down the draft board.
But, this ultimately played into the Habs' hands - after adding Ivan Demidov into the fold, being able to add Hage 16 picks later could be a significant addition. Demidov is viewed by most NHL evaluators as having top-line potential. As for Hage, he has been projected as having top-six centre upside, and with some time to develop in the NCAA and add some mass to his frame, he could end up becoming a pick that many teams regret not making ahead of the Habs at 21.
With his sights set on his first college hockey season, Hage knows all too well that the hard work has only just begun. The Habs made his dream come true, but the rest is up to him and if he hopes to live it out, his debut season with the University of Michigan Wolverines will be a big one. The Wolverines have produced a plethora of elite NHL talents and Hage hopes to be another penciled into that list.
The tantalizing package of high-end skating, quick-twitch hands and vision mixed in with his high hockey IQ are all reasons for Habs fans to be excited to see what he does during his first season as part of the Canadiens organization.