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Michael Hage’s injury complicates his contract situation

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Apr 10, 2026 11:28 AM ET

It's official: Michael Hage saw his college team eliminated after Michigan's loss last night at the Frozen Four.

All signs point to the player having nothing left to prove at the collegiate level, and he is expected to make the jump to the pros for the next chapter of his hockey career.

And that could happen at any moment at this point.

Obviously, if he were to sign with the Laval Rocket to start with, it would be easier to find him playing time. The situation would be less of a distraction.

But right now, that doesn't seem to be the scenario the player wants… nor even the club, if only to let him experience the playoff atmosphere in Montreal. And that's even though the door is open to all scenarios.

That said, another factor complicates the situation: his health.

You can tell just by looking that the Canadiens prospect has been doing better for the past two weeks, but his energy on the ice wasn't the same last night. His shifts were also short, as Nicolas Cloutier of TVA Sports noted.

In the wake of the University of Michigan and Michael Hage's elimination from the NCAA tournament, we're left with more questions than answers regarding the Habs' prospect.

What's next if he's not 100%? Here are a few possibilities. https://t.co/wnJ9IZb2X1

— Nicolas Cloutier (@NCloutierTVA) April 10, 2026

Under these circumstances, does the Canadiens want to call up Michael Hage right now as part of a big push for the playoffs?

The Habs already have healthy forwards on the bench; bringing up an injured prospect could go over poorly. I don't know how Martin St-Louis would handle the situation.

Everyone will have an opinion on the matter, including the player himself. And I imagine he wants to burn a year off his contract to make his NHL debut quickly.

A story to watch, then.

In brief

– The Rocket are playing tonight.

The Belleville #Senators are visiting Place Bell tonight

We'll be there live on #RDS

Penultimate weekend of the season, the last home game #AHL https://t.co/sXuXlwlnYc

— Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) April 10, 2026

– Paul Wilson congratulates Cole Caufield, Marc Bergevin, and Trevor Timmins.

Well done, Marc and Trevor! Good eye! And congratulations, Cole. #GoHabsgo pic.twitter.com/2J7I95nhwT

— Paul Wilson (@prpwilson) April 10, 2026

– Read this.

“It's about instilling fear.”

Owen Protz details how his ELC came about, his rugby background and how it helped him master the open-ice hit, and his message to #GoHabsGo fans.

https://t.co/vztDuaSH3O

— Marco D'Amico (@mndamico) April 10, 2026

– Interesting.

I sat down with Sidney Crosby earlier this week to discuss his relationship with Alex Ovechkin and the possibility of Ovi's retirement. Ovi's decision is on everyone's mind in the hockey world. It's on Sid's mind, too. Read about it here: https://t.co/6vN0uqOJV3

— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) April 10, 2026

This article first appeared on Dose.ca and was syndicated with permission.

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