2024 Draft Prospect Michael Hage’s Passion & Perspective Make Journey Worthwhile

If you have been following 2024 NHL Draft prospects, there’s a good chance you have stumbled upon the name Michael Hage. The 18-year-old center from the Chicago Steel of the USHL (United States Hockey League) has been making noise all season with a comeback story to be admired. Hage also has the talent and the personality that has him on many radars in the first round.

I got the opportunity to catch up with Hage about his journey so far and what comes next.

Hage’s Drive to Success

Speaking on the phone from his home in Mississauga, Ontario, I noticed that Hage speaks with such ease that can only be interpreted as content, and that was an ongoing theme throughout our conversation about living in the present. But don’t get it twisted; he is anything but content regarding hockey. When speaking about what he loves about hockey, “I’d say the biggest thing is just the challenge of there always being another level to get to. I just love showing up to the rink, and I find it’s just a way to compete against other guys, and I think that’s what I play for. At the same time, obviously, everyone dreams of playing in the NHL, and I think the closer it starts to feel and starts to feel more like a possibility, the harder you want to work. I’d say the biggest reason is just coming to the rink every day, and I like to compete against other people in everything I do, and I feel like [hockey] is a way for me to do just that.”

Competition motivates him as much as his unwavering passion for the game, which you can say played a part in his comeback season with the Steel. In 2022-23, his first year with Chicago, Hage endured a torn labrum in his shoulder that limited him to 13 games out of a 62-game season. Yet, in that timeframe, he recorded 10 points. I asked him what he views his strengths as, “I think my hockey IQ being the biggest one, and I think my skating and my skill. I feel like those three things allow me to be impactful every time I go on the ice. I’m someone who wants to play the game with a lot of skill and is really creative. I feel like I put in a lot of work over the years, and I’m pretty confident in that work I put in. So, I would say my biggest strengths are my skating and my skill, and I think the way I see the game allows me to make it hard on the other team and make guys around me better.”

Hage truly soaks in every moment with perseverance and perspective that takes precedence. Whichever team lands him, and it could potentially come full circle with the Blackhawks, will be getting a motivated and talented player, a tough competitor, a loyal teammate, a mature soul, and someone who will be happy to be there, no matter the outcome, and that means more to him than anything.

Oh, and a fun fact: he told me he speaks fluent French, stemming from his family’s Montreal roots, and loves to play golf in his free time. A true hockey guy.