The Red Wings may already have their preferred Canadiens target in a Dylan Larkin trade
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Michael Hage's Michigan roommate has close ties to Red Wings brass, fueling fresh trade buzz between Detroit and Montreal this fall.
Michael Hage has been the name attached to every Red Wings rumor this summer, and it turns out the ties run closer than anyone realized.
The Canadiens' top prospect isn't just playing hockey an hour from Detroit's front office, he's living with someone whose last name carries plenty of weight inside that building.
Hage suits up for the University of Michigan, right in the Red Wings' backyard, a detail that hasn't gone unnoticed among people who track these things closely.
Detroit's interim general manager, Shawn Horcoff, has a son named Will who also plays for the Wolverines.
And according to TVA Sports insider Nicolas Cloutier, Will Horcoff happens to be Hage's roommate.
“Michael Hage, I'll put it this way, he's playing right in their backyard at the University of Michigan.
It can't be very far from where the Red Wings' executives are based.
And the Red Wings' interim general manager is Shawn Horcoff, and Shawn Horcoff has a son named Will Horcoff.
Will Horcoff is Michael Hage's roommate at the University of Michigan, so there are clearly connections and relationships that are very easy to establish.
I'm convinced the Detroit Red Wings know Michael Hage very well, and not only that, but they would have interest in him.”
- Nicolas Cloutier
It can't be very far from where the Red Wings' executives are based.
And the Red Wings' interim general manager is Shawn Horcoff, and Shawn Horcoff has a son named Will Horcoff.
Will Horcoff is Michael Hage's roommate at the University of Michigan, so there are clearly connections and relationships that are very easy to establish.
I'm convinced the Detroit Red Wings know Michael Hage very well, and not only that, but they would have interest in him.”
- Nicolas Cloutier
A friendship that could shape a blockbuster
That kind of proximity matters in a league where information travels fast.
Cloutier laid out the connection in detail, pointing out how naturally these relationships form when a GM's son and a top prospect share an apartment for months at a time.
It's easy to see how Detroit's front office would have a detailed read on who Hage is, on and off the ice, long before any formal scouting report lands on a desk.
Larkin rumors add another layer
The timing lines up with fresh chatter linking Dylan Larkin to Montreal, a scenario that would almost certainly require Hage to be part of any return, as was first mentioned back in June.
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has reportedly balked at including Hage in talks involving players further along in their careers, so it remains to be seen whether familiarity between these two organizations turns into an actual deal this fall.
For now, Hage keeps producing at Michigan while two franchises with an unusually close connection watch his every move.
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Stanley Cup champion requested a trade, and the request is still active