Hage, Thorpe + more prospects address the media on Day 2 of development camp | FULL PRESS CONFERENCE

Hage, Thorpe + more prospects address the media on Day 2 of development camp | FULL PRESS CONFERENCE

thano uh I know like bonjo we Mercy just those three you go to school in French a little bit uh I mainly took Spanish but I have a few French words in my vocabulary how was it to be here this week after uh the draft uh you weren’t in Vegas any particular reason also you weren’t um just wasn’t sure if I going to get picked or not and obviously being here in Montreal great feeling great City lots lots of history with hockey and the city itself and it’s just fantastic to be here were you just watching on TV then uh yeah it was just me and my dad sitting on the couch and name popped up buddy called me and uh the TV was on Commercial so he was the one who actually told me that I got drafted but was your were initial reaction what was your Dad’s reaction as well oh my dad was super excited like you know he’s uh put a lot of time into me a lot of money so he was obviously very happy that I got jaft and I was as well especially being picked to a city like Montreal Just fantastic did you had any contact with the Canadians prior to the draft Yeah Yeah I basically talked to them throughout my season and then talked to them a few weeks before the draft so obviously had a few good conversations with them you’re a big guy also quite quite good on your skate uh just uh how do you describe your your skill set a little bit what you hope to to bring eventually to an NH LEL I I’m working towards being a big power forward that can also skate well and you know I got lot to work on I got a lot to grow but I’m looking forward to it big guys like you are usually quite popular just uh what do you feel maybe maybe what do you feel you need to improve to uh make it to the next step I mean with a lot of guys and Junior obviously my consistency because you know I’m going from 68 games and hopefully when I make the Canadians 82 so it’s going to be a lot going to be a big change but I’m looking forward to it what are your first impressions here maybe uh this morning well yesterday and this morning finally jumping on the ice with the other guys uh it’s a great feeling you know everything I worked for my whole life we everyone here was this was this is their life you know we grew up playing hockey we grew up looking up to these guys playing the AHL and now that we’re here it’s fantastic how would you describe yourself on guys um like I said big Power for him you know I like I like to throw the big hit I like to shoot the puck obviously skating’s got to get better but I’m I’m ready to work for it any guys you know already you coming in um I had known uh Bronson ride we uh attended Ottawa last year together so he was really the only guy I knew but it’s it my roommate’s great everyone here is great nice meeting new people and it’s just fantastic so far you might be too young to know some of the stuff here but any guys that you jump out when you look around and see uh you share the eyes with the uh yeah um young rammer he was uh he’s good friends with my athletic therapist back in Vancouver so he came and talked to me quite a bit and you know we have a connection and obviously Burrows I grew up watching Burrows it it was surreal to meet him it was just like dream come true basically yeah what what kind of memories do you have with him and the oh man and way too many but like obviously the biggest one OT goal against Chicago in the playoffs that’s got to be my favorite did he say anything special to you um just gave me a few pointers making sure that I’m ready to go on the ice making sure I’m not too nervous because obviously you know this is a big step for a guy like me and he’s just making me feel confident in myself thank you e so how did the first feel for you yeah it’s a great experience and I’m super excited to get things going here and it’s really fun how did you end up here like you know how did the invitation come and how did it take place yeah I got like a SMS from a guy who works here so it was just to pck the bags and go okay were you in Vegas uh yeah the draft how how was that to go through the draft I’m sure you were yeah I mean it was tough of course but I’m just looking forward and I I’m still same player as I was before so it’s just to keep going when did you get that invitation was it right at the end of the draft or yeah exactly the same day okay yeah people are talking about your size do you think that’s the main reason why you you you slept as yeah I mean many teams are afraid of the shorter players of course I knew that so yeah that’s probably the main thing so yeah what allows you to put up points like you did last season despite the fact that you’re maybe smaller than than everyone else yeah just trying to stick to my game and I know what I’m good at so I just trying to keep going with that what led you to choose that us College route yeah I feel like as a smaller player it’s harder to go up in the shl like so more years in the college there to develop and work on my strength and the things I need to work on so are there any smaller players that you follow that you might pattern your game yeah I like uh the brink cat and uh yeah he’s a great guy to watch how do you think he uses the size to his Advantage how do you think he might be able to make that work for yeah just like quick turns and being being able to escape pressure like he’s really good at that do you think you need to improve next season yeah I mean coming into the season stronger got much much work to do in the gym so getting bigger and just keep going when you got the invitation I imagine you were pretty upset at that point how did it change your day yeah I mean it was just to come up with a with a smile and just go I I have nothing to be like angry about so just keep going I’m I’m the same guy I was before so have you have you met l hson no no is he one of those guys you like I know a defenseman but one of those guys you look at yeah he’s really good crazy guy [Music] spe [Music] [Music] foree for [Music] [Music] expence for [Music] ch for for [Music] fore [Music] for for spee [Music] [Music] for for Michael has reality set in here um I mean trying to soak it all in it’s still pretty cool to um you know be wearing the jersey and all the gear and um just be on the ace trying to get better and um it’s just been pretty cool to you know see all the facilities um meet all the staff um how many great people there are in this organization it’s been a lot of fun so far has there been anyone you’ve had good conversations with whether it’s coaches or or fellow prospects here um I mean just trying to get to know all the prospects and then in the sense of the staff and and the management and coaches they’ve all been um really great so far honestly I’ve had good talks with with all of them and um on the ace I mean they’re trying to do everything they can to help you so it’s been fun how can you describe what it is to be part of this organization really special I mean uh especially growing up a Habs fan you know um my parents growing up from in Montreal it’s you know it’s a dream for me and um now trying to just step back and um understand that it’s the reality and I got to continue to work and and do everything I can to you know be ready as soon as I possibly can be and make an impact when I get here what do you think the biggest adjustment for you is in that regard um I mean it’s strength I think the physicality you’re playing against if you want to play at this level you’re playing against grown men and um I think I understand that I have to continue getting get stronger um adjusted to did you wear number nine as a kid was that sort of a tribute to yeah I did wear number nine um I think my dad was a huge Maurice Rashard fan so that’s why I first wore it um in minor hockey yeah did you have a favorite Canadians player yourself going up um I mean I never got the chance to watch Maurice Rashard but um it’s why I wore the number but I think I really liked Max patriti growing up in those days um him and Carrie Price were probably my two favorite players and um yeah just really enjoyed watching them is there a reason behind 88 uh it yeah it’s h yeah Jack eel a lot I think um the way he uses his length and um smooth skater um plays the game really creative and uh just someone I like to pick AP part his game and and take things from you have up lifelong HS Fan’s I mean I think just from the the start when I was you know four or five years sticking Puck with my dad and um I mean I just remember it just being us alone on the ice with me my dad and my brother and um just trying to learn how to skate learn how to stop on both sides and just little things like that going out to skate with him did your dad play hockey uh no I mean not at a high level sorry how you spend the rest of the summer and uh how do you project the year ahead for you um I mean go home train skate a bunch um I mean just do everything I can to be as as physically and mentally ready to to step into school and uh make an impact right away I mean I want to be a guy that makes an impact uh the moment I step step in school and um help our team win games next year what did it feel like today putting on a Canadian sweater um it was really cool I mean um to look down and see that logo it’s really special and all this year how do you I don’t know how how do you adjust to this or how do you prepare for the spotlight that comes with playing here um I mean I think it’s it’s what you know I I like um I think you want a passionate fan base and um a team where the city really cares about about um how the team is doing and the players and stuff like that so I think it’s really fun and just try to be myself at what point was it in your mind that you going to go the USHL and colge as opposed to the Uhl I believe you consider um I think my U6 year I went to skate in Chicago and I had a week there just to skate and work out with the team get to see what it was kind of like and um right away I just trust that coaching staff a lot um big cat Adam Nicholas was actually there when um I went to skate that year in my U6 year and um got the chance to you know get to know the staff the players what it was all about there and I I think I knew right away that it was something I wanted to be a part of they had a few onario players also that had pretty good success yeah did that play a part in the yeah I think um just being able to see you know what those guys have done obviously not taking traditional paths but still having success and just shows that it works either way and I mean asked those guys some questions how they liked it and they gave me good feedback so it was really nice have you had a chance to see your grandparents since the draft since you come um I mean my uh mom’s parents were at the draft my dad’s mom couldn’t come unfortunately but I’m going to see her after Camp I’m going stay an extra day go see her feed [Music] t for for I know you were mentioned about your D at the draft and your motions obviously voted um what’s the best advice he ever gave you as far as to help you get to the point where you are today I think controlling um your work ethic and what’s in your control I mean with him um it was never about scoring goals or putting up any numbers um all he cared about was you know my work ethic and um if I could look back at at a game and everything I did in life honestly with no regrets and um that’s some I I still try to do to this day I mean when you’re able to look back at certain things you do and and say that you know you controlled what was really in your control cuz some you you do well and um you’re able to look back at it and not regret anything so that’s what I try to do Nick bar said that you and Logan saw were the two best kids in Toronto growing up in your age group um what’s it like now both of you guys being and what was that your relationship like with him maybe coming up yeah I mean um always knew he was a really good player and um didn’t ever get to play on his team but played against him a bunch and he’s obviously really skilled and um sees the game really well so um it’s nice to you know finally kind of get to know him and um obviously a guy coming from Toronto and um playing against them as a kid um it’s pretty cool to see us both here and just trying to get to know him and have some fun do remember being compared were you guys being compared at all when you were kids coming up or I mean maybe a little bit as a kid but um honestly you’re more just kind of worried about yourself and your team and getting better at that age what was it like following the 2021 playoff in the Canadians R especially you know Toronto the first round yeah I mean um obviously Co and was at the house and it was finally you know something exciting to watch on TV when you know the Habs got in and seeing something you might not see very often in with Montreal and the leaf in a series and I mean guys kind of thought the hals were out of it and um I mean I remember Coffield came out of college and um with pretty big time for them it was a lot of fun to watch I mean that overtime game where he scored and then KMI scoring a big one uh just really fun moments in my house you know jumping around with my brother and my dad and um just enjoying enjoying watching the Habs your dad must have been oh yeah yeah pumped did you go to many games at the Bell Center as a kid um I mean I went I’ve been to maybe one or two just when I was in town with grandparents but I tried to I’ve been down a couple times in Buffalo when you know they played there against the Leafs but uh yeah not not a ton of games at the Bell Center but I mean watch them a ton on TV what was it like growing up in Toronto as a HS fan I mean you hear it a little bit from your buddies but um I mean I don’t really care it’s it is what it is and um I mean for a long time they’re they’re they’re a lot better and um a lot of bragging rights when they beat the Leafs in that first round playoff series so turn [Music] how much have you thought of your dad ever since you’ve been drafted and now that you’re here raring the red blue and white I think um you know the moment I heard my name called thought about it and the pick before I mean I think I told my mom that you know this would be a dream come true here and um I mean just hearing my name called and um ever since and I mean I can’t imagine what he’d be thinking right now um him and my grandpa you know were the biggest two havs fans I’ve ever seen and um if they’re able to you know see me a part of this organization and wear in the Jersey I think they’d be pretty pumped and excuse me if I missed it so but just so the fans get it right how do we say your last name Ha are you looking forward to being able to use your French more often now yeah I mean I think um you know being in the city um I’m going to get a lot more practice at and um little better vocabulary so it’ll get less Rusty and get better and better as you know I speak it more thank you see e

Prospects address the media live from the CN Sports Complex in Brossard on Day 2 of Canadiens Development Camp.

00:07 Tyler Thorpe
04:35 Alexander Zetterberg
07:43 Quentin Miller
14:02 Michael Hage

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