The Montreal Canadiens’ FUTURE! Michael Hage Is Off to a HOT Start!

The Montreal Canadiens’ FUTURE! Michael Hage Is Off to a HOT Start!

There’s Marco Domo. I’m Sean Star. Big shout out to our sponsors. Cheapest t-shirts.ca. Top brands like Russell Athletic, Columbia, American Apparel. No minimum orders. Order today, ship today, and most deliveries will arrive tomorrow. Cheapest t-shirts.ca. Fast, easy, and affordable. MLAN’s Pub, 1210 Peele Street, the home of Demo and Star and your home away from home from all Montreal Canadians game. A perfect spot before the game, after the game, and the perfect spot to join Demo and Star. Um, good food menu, butter chicken pizza, chicken tendies with the hottest sauce you can take on, and no bad seat in the house. And shout out to our friend Katherine Prince, certified real estate broker with the Remax Platin. Reachable at 514722474. That’s 7022474. Check out her website, Katherine with a K. That’s katherineprince.ca. Michael Hayes is having a heck of a start to his Michigan Wolverine season. Three games played, brother. He’s got nine points. I guess that 34 point campaign in last season with Michigan is uh is on the clock. Um you were telling us in the summer months, get ready. This program was going to find another level. So which is it? This player has found another level. The team has found another level which has allowed him to put up the points he’s put up. What’s the breakdown of Michael Hage after three games? Uh yeah, so four goals and five assists for nine points in in in four games, two weekends that he’s played. So yeah, uh definitely I mean first of all, seven of those nine points came against Mercyhurst uh last weekend. So uh not a division one team, so kind of understandable. Yeah. Um but what I can I think kind of impressed me more was his impact against Providence. Yeah. You know, that’s a bigger school. It’s a bigger team. uh generally a more defensive team. Uh game one was a little bit more offensive than people thought. That was on Friday’s game. Michael Hage had two goals, one very pretty goal on a breakaway uh that I encourage you all to go and see. Um but you know, the second game was a more much more defensive style uh that he played on Saturday. And you know, with Michael Hayes, obviously we’re going to look at the points. Obviously, you’re going to look at the points. I think he’s going to have a great season offensively, but if it makes any sense, that’s not what I’m looking for. You know, he’s going to put up 40-ish 50-ish points this season probably with the with the way that Michigan loaded up this year. You have you have Malcolm Spence, uh you have Henry Muse, Will Horov is back and and and and now a first round pick, uh Jaden Piron, um the Ivankovich, like they they’re stacked compared to last year. And what I would say is Michael Hayes has been the best element that they’ve had over the last four games in that in that group of people that I just named. Um, and that includes Will Horov’s five goals uh last weekend. So to me, I think what’s interesting about Michael H is how he’s getting his offense. So, everyone kind of everyone kind of knows him as as the goal scorer in the NCAA, but one of the biggest critiques was how he used his teammates. What about his like body composition? Like I mean, is he going to get I mean, he’s a big he’s a big young man already. Yeah. I mean, he’s a he’s a big guy already, but in terms of like adding a little bit more mass and the position that he plays, like I see I mean fans are going to fan, right? And I’m I’m guilty of it as not maybe as much as most people, but like some people every now and again, right? Like, but when we talk about Michael Hayes 2C of the future, playing 2C at the National Hockey League is no gimme putt. You know, it’s it’s I I don’t know if I’m comfortable saying it’s to be assumed that the chair is just being kept warm from Michael Hayes, but how realistic is it for the fan on the street, the fan watching us today, and thank you by the way, that they can look forward to and when they say 2C or the future, like they’re not going to be laughed out of the room. Well, the Canadians view Michael Haye as a center. You know, I I spoke to Michael H last week uh an interview actually is up with RG Media by at at this time where we kind of discussed the efforts that he put into being a center. And one of the things we talked about was the rigors of a full physical season, right? Jumping from the USHL into the NCAA is a different beast. And now even this year, it’s a more competitive league than it ever has been. And so one of the things that, you know, Ha spoke about is if he’s going to be a center, he’s got to be involved physically in in, you know, winning battles in the corners, um, you know, gaining position, maintaining puck possession, uh, and so on and so forth. And he said that, you know, last year he had a couple of bunts and bruises, played through a couple of injuries at different points in the season, and that he really had to build up his body this year or over the summer to be able to withstand, you know, the the the impact, the toll physically that the season will have on him. I think early on, you’re already seeing the benefits of that. And, you know, there was a hint that he was going to be he was going to have a a very solid season. He was off the charts at development camp in terms of his hands, in terms of the way he was playing, his face off percentage, or at least the skills in the dot improved greatly. And then you saw him play at the World Junior Summer Showcase for Canada and he had a goal in every game. Played center for three, played wing for another, and team Canada, hockey Canada ranted and raved about how complete his game was and how much more physical he was. Um, and it’s by it’s not by chance. Michael Hayes is doing absolutely everything to be a center full-time uh in the NHL even though there are doubts still that his game is better suited for the win. Right. Katherine Prince Remax Platine. It’s time to talk about one of life’s biggest decisions and that’s buying or selling your house. And I encourage you to visit katherineprince.ca for more information. And that’s Katherine with a K. Prince.ca. A Southshore and Montreal area specialist, she’s lived and worked in the region for over 20 years. Katherine Prince.ca. Her deep local roots give her unmatched insight whether you’re moving to Montreal, returning to Montreal, or relocating to the beautiful Southshore. Her approach is truly personal. She takes the time to understand your unique goals and priorities, then crafts a custom strategy around them. She moves with precision, leveraging deep market knowledge, sharp negotiation skills, and meticulous care to guide you through every step. If you’re considering a move to Montreal, a return to the city, or settling on the Southshore, Katherine is ready to be your strategic partner. Call Katherine Prince, that’s Katherine with a K, 5147022474 to start the conversation. I mean that, you know, we talked about this recently that even on, you know, Team Canada roster projections for for later this winter, right? That they had him on the wing and maybe it’s it’s more of a testament to the depth that Canada is going to bring with them as opposed to an indictment on on Michael H’s hockey IQ, but walk me through his skill set. Like for fans that don’t pay attention to the NC2A like you do, you know, you know, I’m asking you to take him to school for a second. like his skill set, what he brings, what makes him such a premier goal scorer where he’s got four goals in three games to go with five assists. One of the things he actually we spoke about was that he wanted to become more of a shooting threat this year. And so he worked very heavily on his shooting mechanics, uh improving upper body strength in that regard, uh and just being able to to, you know, score in different ways. And his four goals are very different. you know, some one-timers on the power play, some, you know, breakaway chances that he was able to generate off, you know, beauty passes from his teammates, but his explosive speed, uh, is is just it’s going to be a breath of fresh air down the middle. Let’s just say that. Um, the only negative, and it’s not really it’s not really his fault, and in fact, the entire NHL would actually find this to be a good thing, except for the Montreal Canadians, is he’s a right shot center. Oh, no. Yeah. in the Canadians. Well, they have a lot of those. Yeah, no kidding. But, but in terms of uh everything else, he would be, in my opinion, from a skill set perspective would be a perfect compliment to a guy like Nick Suzuki because he’s got blistering speed. He’s more of a shooter. Uh he can make plays at top speed, elite top speed. Um, and this is at the NCAA level. Of course, players need to continue to evolve, but it’s that kind of it’s one of these skills, and I’ve always said this, right? I feel like the best players in the league, or at least most of them, can execute quickly, almost to an elite level with puck possession at full speed. There are very few NHL players that have that skill mastered. It’s what makes Conor McDavid Conor McDavid in my honest opinion. Right. Sure. It’s the elite speed. elite putt hack puck handling and elite shooting mechanics and how none of those hamper the other. Well, I don’t think that Michael Hayes is anywhere near Conor McDavid in terms of skill set, but it’s that ability to not lose pace with the puck on his stick and in fact accelerate with it and complete plays at a very, very quick pace. These are translatable skills that do very well in the NHL, which is why the NCAA is viewed as such a strong league uh when it comes to developmental confidence from scouts because they play a game akin to the NHL, the closest in my honest opinion in North America to the NHL. So when you see him play and you see the way he he is able to move the puck in transition like he’s a transition monster absolute beauty in terms of being able to move through the neutral zone and enter the zone with possession and when he does enter the zone with possession he’s dangerous in and of his own self right so I’ll give you an example Alex New Hook Alex New Hook is elite elite at entering the zone with speed and then what happens right like and then he’s kind of waiting for a teammate. He doesn’t have the He doesn’t have the habit. No, no, he can, but he doesn’t have the habit of crashing and going straight to the net. Michael Hage does. And he has the hands to execute. And I think that’s that’s really like if Michael Hits as a center, it could be a very, very, very valuable player for the Montreal Canadians. The biggest concern was his physical play. would he be able to withstand the physical demands of being a center playing a 200 foot game? And so far, you know, in my conversations with with those at Michigan, the answer is a resounding yes. They are very happy with his two-way game, very happy with his physical implication. He was very uh physical on Saturday night in a tougher uh I would say angrier game against uh against Providence and you really love to see it. And then also just faceoffs, right? like he’s really improved in the dot. I think he’s really done a good job of improving there. And if you’re the Montreal Canadians and you want a prototypical number two center, that center has to be at least a 52% at the dot, you know, in their prime consistently. And so the way that Michael Hay has improved that as well, there’s a lot of layers that he’s adding to his game. Some still see him as a potential winger. And honestly, if the Canadians already have a number two center, then you’re fine. But I feel like he’s at that stage now where he’s going to be at the top end of the NCAA and it’s just a question of translating it into the NHL. Uh come check us out at MLAN’s 1210 October 22nd from 7 to 8:00 p.m. for a live show. We’ve got lots of prizes to give away including our friends at Melas Melisakhouse.ca Highway 132 in Ghana. We’ve got $100 gift cards to give away so you can enjoy premium steaks, fresh pasta, fresh seafood, outstanding wine and cigar lists thanks to our friends at Melasa. We’ll see you at Mela’s. You can reserve online, get your table at melastakehouse.ca, Highway 132 in Ganawag. And no taxes on the bill. I I don’t know. I don’t know about you. I love that aspect. Um, let me put you on the PTI shot clock here. Shout out Tony Cornheiser and Michael Wilbond. Do this in 90 seconds. 90 seconds. What’s his timeline to the NHL for Michael H? Let’s wrap on that. What do you mean by time like playing games? When he’s done when he’s done in Michigan, full season laval does he I mean, is he going to be like Brendan Gallagher like NHL ready with very little seasoning in the American Hockey League? That’s what I meant specifically. Yeah, I think I think it’s tough because he has the skill set to play in the NHL. Yeah, I think that he I think he’s one and done in the NC Well, one and done. It’s a second season, but I think he’s going to do it this season and and then jumping to the NHL. Um, I do think that physically speaking, he still needs to add to his frame to be able to withstand the NHL game. So, I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing him potentially dominate in the American Hockey League. Uh, you know, and maybe not even dominate, but just to to simmer in the American Hockey League uh in 2026, 2027 and potentially earn a call up throughout the year and see what happens. Um, but that all all of that depends on where the Montreal Canadians are in terms of their depth down the middle at that time, right? And I think that’s going to be the interesting part because when you if the Canadians do make an acquisition for a top six center during this season, well, that takes a that takes a load off of Michael Hayes like the acquisition of Noah Dobson took a load off of David Rhybacker, right? And so that’s the way I see it. So it all it really kind of depends on what they decide to do. Um, but they very very much like Michael Haye and they’re very invested um almost incredibly invested in developing him as a center. So I don’t think they’re going to rush it even though he has the skills that I think would be adequate to play in the NHL as as soon as the end of this year. 34 points for Michael H last season. He’s on nine right now and his Michigan Wolverine side has played three games. He’s got four goals and and five assists. All eyes on Michael Hay. All eyes on the Star and De Mo show brought to you by Little Bear. Little Bearon online.com. Chuck and Evie and their staff care about your pet as much as you do with access fine accessories from around the world. Local foods too and expert advice, not that big box store stuff. Check them out at littlebearonline.com. They deliver and they’ve got curbside pickup. Find them on St. Catherine across from West Mount Square. Make sure to keep it locked in to Star and Demo all week long. We’ve got live shows following the Montreal Canadians games and of course your usual Sunday morning extravaganza with that man right there. You can follow Marco Demo at M and Demo on all your favorite social platforms. Marco, thank you sir and looking forward to seeing you live following Havs games and of course our Sunday morning show. Thank you. Always a pleasure guys. Have a good one.

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The Montreal Canadiens might have a future star in Michael Hage. After just three games with the Michigan Wolverines, Hage already has 9 points and 4 goals, catching the attention of Habs fans and NHL scouts alike.

Shaun Starr & Marco D’Amico break down Hage’s playing style, his offensive upside, and whether he could develop into the Montreal Canadiens’ 2nd line center of the future. Could Hage be the missing piece in the Habs’ lineup? How does he compare to current NHL prospects in his age group?

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