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LAS VEGAS -- Michael Hage, a center with Chicago of the United States Hockey League, received the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence, the NHL announced Thursday.
Hage (6-foot, 187 pounds) overcame much adversity to settle in as a projected first-round pick in the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft. The right-handed shot is No. 10 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, up nine spots from the midterm release in January.
The E.J. McGuire Award, presented by NHL Central Scouting, is in honor of McGuire, who served as director of Central Scouting from 2005 until he died of cancer April 7, 2011. It's given to the candidate who best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism.
NHL Central Scouting chose the E.J. McGuire Award winner in May after careful consideration of nominations from various leagues and the conclusion of the IIHF World Under-18 Championship.
"Hage has what I call the three C's, which no analytics give you, and that's character, compete and consistency," NHL Central Scouting Director Dan Marr said. "He brings all those to every game, shift in and shift out, and you combine that with his smarts and his skills, he's able to go out there and be a difference-maker. He's the one that pushes the envelope, the one that helps drive Chicago. When they needed a goal, he was out there generating chances. When they defended a lead, he was out there defending, and defending his teammates.
"I just think when the teams get to spend time with him, interview him, see how hard he competes, they'll see this is the type of player you want to bring into your organization."
Hage suffered a dislocated right shoulder in September 2022 and was out five months following surgery before eventually playing 13 games in his first USHL season with Chicago. Last summer, Hage's father, Alain, passed away in a swimming accident, but the 18-year-old pressed on.
"I think it's what he would have wanted me to do, so it's just extra motivation for me,” Hage said, “and he always believed I would be successful, and he pushed me as a kid and I just tried to make him proud every night. I think it meant a lot to him to see me having success. By the end of last [season], I knew he was happy with how it was all coming along. I wish he could be here to watch how it's going right now, but I'm sure he's proud."
Hage, born in Mississauga, Ontario, was fourth in USHL scoring with 75 points (33 goals, 42 assists) in 54 regular-season games, and he had four points (two goals) in two USHL playoff games. He had 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in his last 14 regular-season games to gain the attention of every NHL scout this season.
"He performed with a passion and purpose that highlighted his strong character and leadership ability while competing with his athleticism and hockey skills to be the best he could be every game for the Chicago Steel," Marr said. "Michael is one of those special players who personifies what it takes to accomplish one's aspirations with conviction and he has a bright NHL future ahead."
Committed to the University of Michigan in 2024-25, Hage has 85 points (38 goals, 47 assists) in 67 USHL games over two seasons.
"He started the year very good as a very noticeable prospect and it seemed about halfway through the year, and maybe there were some lingering effects from the shoulder injury, that he just took off," NHL Central Scouting's Pat Cullen told the "NHL Draft Class" podcast. "He's a smart player, no question about it, but he just became that impact guy where every game he was impacting the score sheet. But he also was impacting the game defensively, because he can really skate, he's really smart and he's got a good compete level."
Chicago struggled to get the sixth and final playoff spot in the USHL Eastern Conference this season, but Hage was considered a bright spot who improved as the season progressed.
"A lot of people would not have been able to handle it," Chicago coach and general manager Mike Garman said. "And you would be like, 'Oh, of course they couldn't handle it.' That was two really, really difficult blows back-to-back, and you don't blame them for whatever the result is. Instead, Michael seemed to just get better and better over time. I could not be more impressed with how he handled that and what he went through."
