Michael Hage appears to have made his decision after being spotted ahead of Canadiens camp
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The speculation is now over.
Michael Hage was just spotted at the Wolverines’ facilities, and he has arrived on the University of Michigan campus to begin a third season.
The Montreal Canadiens prospect had left the door slightly open earlier this summer to signing immediately with the Habs.
But in the end, he won’t follow Logan Cooley‘s path, and he’s sticking to his plan.
The Wolverines got things underway Monday with their traditional captain-led skates.
On Tuesday, Hage posed with his teammates for the first team meeting.
The University of Michigan’s official practices are scheduled to begin on September 8, one day before the Montreal Canadiens open rookie camp.
So even though Hage admitted during development camp in Brossard in July that a change of plans was still possible.
That possibility now appears to be off the table.
Michael Hage stays the course at Michigan with Canadiens arrival pushed to spring 2027
There was a precedent that had fueled some hope on that front.
Logan Cooley, then an Arizona Coyotes prospect, changed his mind at the time and signed in the NHL after initially planning to return to the University of Minnesota.
The Canadiens clearly weren’t able to pull off the same move with Michael Hage, even though Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes had promised to respect his decision either way.
There’s nothing alarming about it.
The timeline has simply been pushed back a little, with Hage potentially arriving as soon as the spring of 2027.
“Hage has arrived on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor to compete in a 3rd season in the NCAA.
The Canadiens prospect had left the door slightly ajar at the start of the summer, but everything suggests he’s staying the course.”
– Nicolas Cloutier
That appears to settle the Michael Hage situation, at least until the spring!
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Michael Hage appears to have made his decision after being spotted ahead of Canadiens camp
Did Michael Hage make the right decision by returning to Michigan for a third season?