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It’s hard to follow in the footsteps of a center like Frank Nazar III.
Last year, in the then-Michigan forward’s breakout sophomore season, Nazar — who is now with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks — ranked among the top five Wolverines in both goals and assists. He won more faceoffs than all but 17 players in the country and made headlines with his viral ‘Michigan 2.0’ assist in the NCAA Regional Final. It won’t be easy for anyone to fill Nazar’s shoes.
But this season, freshman forward Michael Hage will try.
Hage, who was drafted 21st overall by the Montreal Canadiens in June’s NHL Draft, is among the most highly-touted of Michigan’s 15 newcomers. He spent the last two seasons with the USHL’s Chicago Steel — the former home of past Wolverines’ greats like defenseman Owen Power and fellow center Adam Fantilli — and put up a team-leading 33 goals and 42 assists last season. In early practices at Yost, Hage is putting his skills on display, even eliciting comparisons to his predecessor.
“I think Michael is similar to Frankie in regards to how he carries the puck through the middle of the ice,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said Tuesday.
Aside from his stickhandling, Hage has been turning heads with his physicality. At just 18 years old, Hage’s 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame is already on par with some of the Wolverines’ upperclassmen forwards. That’s bigger than Nazar ever was, too.
“I’m actually really impressed with his wall play and just how heavy he is for a freshman only a month in,” Naurato said. “He’s getting better every day, and just like every young prospect, he’s gonna do some things that wow us.”
That size and strength will prove useful against the rest of the Big Ten, a conference not lacking in physical play. Those are traits that usually takes years for an athlete to develop through countless hours in the weight room, but Hage has a head start.
These early practices are a great opportunity for any young player to not only improve on the ice, but also to form bonds with teammates. Hage had another head start with team chemistry, though, getting the chance to know junior forward and fellow Ontarian T.J. Hughes over the summer. The two skated together a few times this summer in Burlington, Ontario, a convenient meeting place about halfway between the teammates’ hometowns. Through both those summer skates in Burlington and now fall practices in Ann Arbor, Hage has certainly made an impression on Hughes, who already has high expectations for the rookie.
“What comes to mind about him is deceptiveness and smooth skating,” Hughes said. “… I think he’s gonna play a big role on our team this year and be really good.”
It’d be hard for anyone to step into a top-six center role and be effective right away, let alone a freshman. Even Nazar needed some time to hit his stride, scoring just two goals in the 13 games he played in his freshman season.
But if Michigan believes that anyone can produce at center on day one, Michael Hage can.
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