Catching up with… Michael Hage

MONTREAL – When Canadiens co-director of amateur scouting Nick Bobrov announced Michael Hage as the team’s 21st overall pick at the 2024 NHL Draft, the latter was met by the cheers of nearly 30 family members, coaches and friends in the stands at Sphere in Las Vegas.

It was a perfect moment for the bilingual 18-year-old centerman who grew up a Habs fan and who has many relatives residing in the city that bleeds bleu-blanc-rouge.

A native of Oakville, ON, Hage spoke with the Habs’ content crew about being drafted by his childhood team, dealing with adversity, his style of play and more.

Please note answers have been modified for clarity and conciseness.

Was there an element of surprise when your name was called by the Canadiens, or did you have a feeling that moment was coming?

I think I had a good feeling about it. Obviously, nothing is ever guaranteed and you’re not sure what they’re thinking down there, but you’re feeling certain teams might like you and you have a good feeling about certain teams. It's always a surprise and a surreal moment when you hear your name. You can go through the moment 100 times in your head and think a team is going to pick you, and even if you know something is going to happen... to just hear my name called by management is still an unbelievable moment.

What were your impressions of development camp, from the facilities to the staff and players and everything in between?

Unbelievable, honestly. I think from the management to the guys we met, all super nice people. The facilities are unbelievable. I was amazed by it; you got everything you need there. If something is not there that you think you need, and you think that would help you, they’ll get it for you. It’s second to none. The camp was a lot of fun, working with the staff in the gym, Big Cat [director of hockey operations Adam Nicholas] on the ice, just competing. I like the way it was set up. I had a good time.

It goes without saying that the last year has been difficult for you from a personal standpoint [Hage’s father passed away in July 2023]. What have you learned about yourself in the last 12 months or so?

I think that I’m someone who’s mentally tough. I feel like it helps you in life and in hockey. Going through a lot of adversity at this age is obviously not easy, but it’s helped my mental side of things, whether it’s in games when there are little bumps on the road. I don’t think they affect me as much. And just the way I look at things; so many worse things can be happening a lot of the time, and just being able to move on from things quicker, I think it’s helped me and made me a mentally tough kid.

How would you describe yourself as a player for those who don’t know your playing style?

I'm a highly dynamic and creative centerman. I like to use my speed and skill to make guys around me better and I’m someone who wants to be a threat every time I’m on the ice.

Now that you’ve been drafted by Montreal, have you put any thought into your general capability of being able to speak French fluently, and how important is it to you to be able to connect with the French community and fanbase in their native language?

For me growing up, I learned it at a young age. Obviously, you lose it a little bit and it gets a bit rusty if you don’t speak it often, but I mean being able to speak it, understand it with such a passionate fanbase and a mostly French-speaking fanbase, is really cool, and I think they appreciate it.

In your NHL Draft questionnaire, you wrote Venice, ITA as your dream city to play a hockey game in. Why there?

I went there a little while back on vacation and I think it would be a sweet spot to play a game, and I just really like Italy. I think it’s a really cool country and it would be a cool spot to play hockey.

Start, Bench, Cut: poutine, smoked meat and Montreal bagels

Start: Poutine. Bench: Bagels. Cut: Smoked meat.

What is your Mount Rushmore as a Habs fan growing up?

One of them is Game 6 against the Leafs when [Jesperi] Kotkaniemi scored the OT winner. Another one would be Tyler Toffoli scoring the series clincher against Winnipeg. I want to say P.K. Subban coming out of the box in that Boston series and going on a breakaway and scoring. And of course, getting drafted by the Montreal Canadiens!