Cowan: Canadiens prospect Michael Hage displays potential at centre
Michael Hage's skill level made him stand out at the Canadiens' development camp last summer in Brossard.
Article content
You could see right away why the Canadiens selected Hage in the first round (21st overall) of last year's NHL Entry Draft after taking Ivan Demidov with the fifth overall pick.
Article content
Demidov, 19, made the jump to the NHL this year after completing his KHL season with 19-30-49 totals in 65 games with SKA St. Petersburg, setting a league record for most points by a player younger than 20 and winning the rookie-of-the-year award. Demidov had a goal and an assist in two regular-season games with the Canadiens and added two assists in five playoff games. He showed he's ready to play regularly in the NHL next season.
Article content
Article content
Hage, also 19, is coming off an impressive freshman season at the University of Michigan, where he had 13-21-34 totals in 33 games and was named his team's top rookie. Hage still isn't ready for the NHL, but if all goes well, the Canadiens hope he can develop into the second-line centre they need behind Nick Suzuki.
Article content
'Yeah, I do,' Rassey said during a phone interview on Thursday. 'I think he's got top-six potential at the NHL level. It's going to take him some time to get there — it's not going to be an overnight thing. But from a potential standpoint, his ceiling is extremely, extremely high.'
Article content
Hage is listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds and needs to add more muscle in order to compete in the NHL. He's continuing to work on that with the University of Michigan players going through their spring-term training sessions with the team's strength coach.
Article content
Article content
'It's hard throughout the course of a hockey season to be able to grow and add (muscle),' Rassey said. 'But to see what he's done so far in the eight weeks in the post-season and still having eight weeks to go, I think he's going to be a different player next season from a physical standpoint. He looks really good in the gym.
Article content
MICHAEL HAGE ALL BY HIMSELF ‼️ @umichhockey
It's all tied up in Ann Arbor, 2-2. #B1GHockey on BTN 📺 pic.twitter.com/DYELohl3yb
— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) February 16, 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Ottawa Citizen
2 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
No bigger winner in the business of sport this week than the Florida Panthers
Article content Bulls of the week Article content On this first day of summer and longest day of sunshine of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, there's plenty to be bullish about in the business of sport, beginning with the two words 'Game 7' in the NBA, where the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will play for all of the marbles on Sunday. Article content The NHL fell short at six games in its Stanley Cup Final this spring after watching the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers go the distance 12 months ago in their first of back-to-back showdowns. That was the 18th Cup Final Game 7 over the course of 83 years, with the previous final series maximum having been reached when the St. Louis Blues won their first Cup in franchise history, beating the Boston Bruins in 2019. Article content Article content The Association, on the other hand, is playing an NBA Finals Game 7 for the first time in nine years, when LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Article content Article content Moreover, the NBA is in one of those scenarios where they'll have a compelling storyline and first-time champion, either way. That won't fully mitigate against the small-market matchup when it comes to TV ratings, but it will at least make the most of the showdown between the 25th biggest TV market in the U.S. (Indianapolis) and the 47th largest (OKC). Article content It was also a bullish week for emerging sport business tycoon Mark Walter, who announced that he will be adding the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA to his impressive list of sport properties, one that has featured the defending World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers since 2012. Article content The deal between Walter, who is building on a personal net worth that was estimated at US$6.1 billion in February, and the longtime Buss family ownership group values the Lakers at US$10 billion, a record franchise transaction in North American pro sport. Article content Article content Walter's reach and influence also extends to Chelsea of the Premier League of English soccer, a stake in Strasbourg of the French Ligue 1, Cadillac Formula One, and single-entity governance and ownership of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). Article content Article content Yet there was no bigger winner in the business of sport this week than owner Vinnie Viola and his Panthers, who won their second consecutive Cup title in their third straight trip to the championship series. Article content The dominant performance by the Paul Maurice-coached Panthers inspired many to begin referring to them as a dynasty, suggesting that two wins in three finals in the salary cap era at least rivals three or four straight titles in the years before payroll restrictions and the resulting competitive parity were introduced in to the NHL more than 20 years ago.
Calgary Herald
3 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
No bigger winner in the business of sport this week than the Florida Panthers
Article content Bulls of the week Article content On this first day of summer and longest day of sunshine of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, there's plenty to be bullish about in the business of sport, beginning with the two words 'Game 7' in the NBA, where the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will play for all of the marbles on Sunday. Article content The NHL fell short at six games in its Stanley Cup Final this spring after watching the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers go the distance 12 months ago in their first of back-to-back showdowns. That was the 18th Cup Final Game 7 over the course of 83 years, with the previous final series maximum having been reached when the St. Louis Blues won their first Cup in franchise history, beating the Boston Bruins in 2019. Article content Article content The Association, on the other hand, is playing an NBA Finals Game 7 for the first time in nine years, when LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Article content Article content Moreover, the NBA is in one of those scenarios where they'll have a compelling storyline and first-time champion, either way. That won't fully mitigate against the small-market matchup when it comes to TV ratings, but it will at least make the most of the showdown between the 25th biggest TV market in the U.S. (Indianapolis) and the 47th largest (OKC). Article content It was also a bullish week for emerging sport business tycoon Mark Walter, who announced that he will be adding the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA to his impressive list of sport properties, one that has featured the defending World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers since 2012. Article content The deal between Walter, who is building on a personal net worth that was estimated at US$6.1 billion in February, and the longtime Buss family ownership group values the Lakers at US$10 billion, a record franchise transaction in North American pro sport. Article content Article content Walter's reach and influence also extends to Chelsea of the Premier League of English soccer, a stake in Strasbourg of the French Ligue 1, Cadillac Formula One, and single-entity governance and ownership of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). Article content Article content Yet there was no bigger winner in the business of sport this week than owner Vinnie Viola and his Panthers, who won their second consecutive Cup title in their third straight trip to the championship series. Article content The dominant performance by the Paul Maurice-coached Panthers inspired many to begin referring to them as a dynasty, suggesting that two wins in three finals in the salary cap era at least rivals three or four straight titles in the years before payroll restrictions and the resulting competitive parity were introduced in to the NHL more than 20 years ago.
Vancouver Sun
3 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
No bigger winner in the business of sport this week than the Florida Panthers
On this first day of summer and longest day of sunshine of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, there's plenty to be bullish about in the business of sport, beginning with the two words 'Game 7' in the NBA, where the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will play for all of the marbles on Sunday. The NHL fell short at six games in its Stanley Cup Final this spring after watching the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers go the distance 12 months ago in their first of back-to-back showdowns. That was the 18th Cup Final Game 7 over the course of 83 years, with the previous final series maximum having been reached when the St. Louis Blues won their first Cup in franchise history, beating the Boston Bruins in 2019. The Association, on the other hand, is playing an NBA Finals Game 7 for the first time in nine years, when LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Moreover, the NBA is in one of those scenarios where they'll have a compelling storyline and first-time champion, either way. That won't fully mitigate against the small-market matchup when it comes to TV ratings, but it will at least make the most of the showdown between the 25th biggest TV market in the U.S. (Indianapolis) and the 47th largest (OKC). It was also a bullish week for emerging sport business tycoon Mark Walter, who announced that he will be adding the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA to his impressive list of sport properties, one that has featured the defending World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers since 2012. The deal between Walter, who is building on a personal net worth that was estimated at US$6.1 billion in February, and the longtime Buss family ownership group values the Lakers at US$10 billion, a record franchise transaction in North American pro sport. Walter's reach and influence also extends to Chelsea of the Premier League of English soccer, a stake in Strasbourg of the French Ligue 1, Cadillac Formula One, and single-entity governance and ownership of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). Yet there was no bigger winner in the business of sport this week than owner Vinnie Viola and his Panthers, who won their second consecutive Cup title in their third straight trip to the championship series. The dominant performance by the Paul Maurice-coached Panthers inspired many to begin referring to them as a dynasty, suggesting that two wins in three finals in the salary cap era at least rivals three or four straight titles in the years before payroll restrictions and the resulting competitive parity were introduced in to the NHL more than 20 years ago. It's an impressive achievement, not only for the Panthers, but also for the sunbelt hockey strategy deployed as part of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's more than 30-year tenure. It marks the sixth straight year in which the Cup has gone through the state of Florida, with two wins and three trips through Tampa Bay 2020-22 and the same through Sunrise, Fla., 2023-25. It's a remarkable evolution as well for a team that has spent much of its history with among the lowest attendance in the NHL. The Panthers have nowhere near the profile of a Canadian-based market, but give credit where credit is due: They're run by a highly respected hockey operations department that does much more than simply benefit from zero state income tax provisions in Florida. The FIFA 2026 World Cup — now less than a year away — will be a huge success played before sellouts throughout its three host countries of the U.S., Mexico and Canada. That doesn't change the fact that the Cup hasn't made quite the same dent, at least so far, on attendance and fan engagement in the American stadiums that are hosting it. Fast-forward eight to 12 years and the global club championship will be better understood. Consider these growing pains for an event that just a few years ago was played under more of a 'final four' format, not a 32-team competition spanning all six continents. Tom Mayenknecht is the host of The Sport Market on Sportsnet 650 on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Vancouver-based sport business commentator and principal in Emblematica Brand Builders provides a behind-the-scenes look at the sport business stories that matter most to fans. Follow Mayenknecht at: .
