Although Vegas said farewell to some long-time fan favorites this offseason, there’s one player who continues to be integral for the Vegas Golden Knights franchise. Nicolas Hague, a Vegas-drafted player and Stanley Cup winner, has his sights set on a successful upcoming season.
Hague said the team is hungry following a disappointing 2023-24 season after the first-round series loss against the Dallas Stars back in May.
“For all the guys that were here last year, you don’t forget about that… especially the guys that won here, that’s an addictive feeling, so that pushes us even more to get back there,” Hague told The Hockey News. “Anything short of (winning) that is a disappointment for our group.”
Hague, who played a little less than 19 minutes in Saturday’s 6-5 loss to the San Jose Sharks, was a key component in Vegas’ 2023 Stanley Cup victory alongside his line partner, Zach Whitecloud. Working through the ranks and playing together in the AHL to win the cup alongside one another in the NHL, the duo have been through it all.
“Obviously when you get to play with one guy for pretty much your whole career… we’re able to help each other grow and figure out who we are as NHL players,” Whitecloud said.
Despite their success as a pair, Hague saw himself shifted around late last season after Vegas acquired Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames in a three-way deal. The two went on to play 14 games together, syncing almost immediately.
On that budding partnership, Hague said they’re looking to just build on that momentum from the end of last season and he thinks they’re just going to continue to get better as a pair.
The opportunity to continue to grow seems to be a common theme surrounding Hague, as coach Bruce Cassidy mentioned the Hague-Hanifin pair providing an opportunity for the team to thrive.
“We’d like to get more offense out of our back end,” Cassidy said. “He’d (Hague) be one of the guys.”
Using his intimidating 6-foot-6, 245-pound frame, the defenseman is notorious for his powerful shot – the “Haguerbomb” – and an offensive potential that led him through juniors. Hague led the Mississauga Steelheads in scoring with 78 points in 67 games in his last season before being drafted by Vegas in 2017.
With the Hanifin partnership, Hague is pushed to play on his non-dominant side which could help free up opportunities for more shot attempts. If so, there is a real possibility that Hague could be an unpredictable force on Vegas’ D-line this season.
