2024-08-22 23:49:01
The Montreal Canadiens were ready to part with the 5e and 21e A first-round pick during the final National Hockey League (NHL) selection session if Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage were no longer available when they took the stage.
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Here’s what we learned there the documentary going behind the pictures of the draft from last June which was broadcast on Thursday evenings at the CH.
The CH even had a trade offer on the table for the fifth pick: an unprotected first-round pick in 2025 and a second-round pick. In the end, Kent Hughes didn’t need to complete this deal since Demidov, the player who had been so popular at CH since the beginning, was still there.
The club’s general manager revealed that another exchange had also been considered in case Michael Hage did not slip down to the 21st level.
“Crazy” for not choosing me
The CH documentary also gave us privileged access to the interview between Demidov and the Habs staff.
When asked if the Canadian would be “crazy” not to pick him if he was still available at No. 5, the 18-year-old Russian answered with a straight “yes”.
In addition, the latter compared his playing style to a combination between the style of his colleague Kirill Kaprizov, from the Minnesota Wild, and the style of Jack Hughes, from the New Jersey Devils. Two comparisons that the leaders of the Habs liked.
Hage and tragedy
Unlike Demidov, the CH was able to meet Michael Hage during the NHL meet. The Ontario hitter also tackled the difficult subject of his father’s death with great maturity and wisdom.
When Dr. asked David Scott, a psychologist with the Canadiens, how he managed to go through this difficult ordeal, Hage offered a worthwhile answer.
“It’s very difficult at the beginning. You will not forget, but you can move on. Now I have to play in his honor for everything he did for me.”
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