Nicolas Hague Explained

Nicolas Hague
Birth Date:5 December 1998
Birth Place:Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Height Ft:6
Height In:6
Weight Lb:230
Position:Defence
Shoots:Left
League:NHL
Team:Vegas Golden Knights
Draft:34th overall
Draft Year:2017
Draft Team:Vegas Golden Knights
Career Start:2018

Nicolas "Nic" Hague (born December 5, 1998) is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hague was selected 34th overall by the Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

Hague was drafted by the Mississauga Steelheads in the second round of the 2014 OHL Draft.[1] Hague was later drafted 34th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.[2]

Hague signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Golden Knights on September 29, 2017, and attended their training camp before rejoining the Steelheads for the 2017–18 season.[3] Following a 2017–18 season where Hague led his team in scoring and set a Steelhead single season record for defencemen (78 points), Hague was awarded the Max Kaminsky Trophy, which is awarded to the OHL's Most Outstanding Defenceman of the Year.[4] On April 8, following the Steelheads elimination from the 2018 OHL Playoffs, the Golden Knights assigned him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.[5]

On January 21, 2020, Hague scored his first career NHL goal against the Boston Bruins on goaltender Jaroslav Halák.[6]

With the Golden Knights becoming known for aggressively trading draft picks and drafted players, Hague was notably the only player drafted by the organization to play in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals.[7] Hague scored a goal in the series-clinching Game 5 against the Florida Panthers to help the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup.[8]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Team League GP GP G A Pts PIM
2014–15Kitchener DutchmenGOJHL4338117010391220
2015–16Mississauga SteelheadsOHL6614102484702213
2016–17Mississauga SteelheadsOHL65182846107181111219
2017–18Mississauga SteelheadsOHL67354378105604412
2017–18Chicago WolvesAHL5011730004
2018–19Chicago WolvesAHL751319323822471131
2019–20Vegas Golden KnightsNHL381101132
2019–20Chicago WolvesAHL21191012
2020–21Vegas Golden KnightsNHL525121731101126
2021–22Vegas Golden KnightsNHL524101438
2022–23Vegas Golden KnightsNHL8131417512224637
2023–24Vegas Golden KnightsNHL73210124310000
NHL totals2961556711953335843

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2014Canada WhiteU175th52024
2016CanadaU184th70224
Junior totals 122248

Awards and honors

AwardYear
OHL
Max Kaminsky Trophy2017–18
NHL
Stanley Cup champion2023[9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Results from the 2014 OHL Priority Selection . mississaugasteelheads.com . October 25, 2018 . April 5, 2014.
  2. Web site: Tippett and Hague Find NHL Homes . mississaugasteelheads.com . October 25, 2018 . June 24, 2017.
  3. Web site: Steelheads' Hague signs with Golden Knights . ontariohockeyleague.com . October 25, 2018 . September 29, 2017.
  4. Web site: Steelheads' Nic Hague Named OHL Defenceman of the Year . . May 11, 2018.
  5. Web site: VEGAS NHL DRAFT PICK HAGUE JOINS WOLVES . chicagowolves.com . October 25, 2018 . April 3, 2018.
  6. Web site: Krejci has goal, assist for Bruins in 3-2 win over Vegas . . October 29, 2022 . January 21, 2020.
  7. Web site: Golden Knights Former Picks and Search for a Relevant 'Mr. Irrelevant'. Gawlik . Chris . Vegas Hockey Now . July 1, 2023 . June 26, 2023.
  8. News: How Nicolas Hague went from Vegas draft pick to Cup champion . Ferrari . Tony . . July 1, 2023 . June 15, 2023.
  9. Web site: Brewer . Contessa . Golden Knights' Stanley Cup win cements Las Vegas as a big-time sports city . CNBC . June 18, 2023 . June 14, 2023.