Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague (14) skates during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings at T-Mobile Arena Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) is at right.
Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023 | 2 a.m.
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Nicolas Hague is one of the last Golden Knights to leave the ice.
It’s hard to miss his 6-foot-6 stature while on it, and just as impossible to miss him as he walks to his stall inside City National Arena. He sits, elbow room aplenty, while the majority of his teammates have already dispersed for the day.
It’s been a week since Hague completed his most memorable moment of the season, unloading a one-timer from above the left circle in overtime to give Vegas a 5-4 win over the Nashville Predators on New Year’s Eve.
Normally with a calm, stoic demeanor, Hague showed more emotion than usual when he pumped his right fist into the air and was met first with a firm hug from Keegan Kolesar.
That matinee against Nashville was a unique one. The Golden Knights lost Daniil Miromanov to an injury, as well as Brayden McNabb when he was ejected for an illegal check to the head.
The Golden Knights played that game with four defensemen and still found a way to win, with Hague playing a career-high 27:59 before his game-winning goal.
“We just played with the cards we’re dealt,” Hague said after the game.
That metaphor also applies to Hague’s current role in the Golden Knights lineup.
As Hague sits at his stall, he takes a deep breath after the hour of work he puts in. Getting those reps has always been valuable for Hague. Whether he’s a mainstay in the lineup or still fighting for that ice time he coveted as a rookie, Hague has never shied away from putting in the extra work.
The extra few minutes he spends on slap shots or skating drills has seemingly led to this moment for the 24-year-old, playing consistent top minutes alongside Alex Pietrangelo.
Of course, this opportunity presented itself because of the seemingly never-ending run of injuries the Golden Knights have dealt with. But in the last 16 games, Hague has played an average of 21:31.
“It’s a role I embrace. It’s where I want to play,” Hague said. “I feel good playing there. I certainly don’t feel out of place in that elevated role. For me, it’s trying to be consistent and do my part to help the team win, no matter what role it’s in.”
Hague got a taste of that role last season when Alec Martinez missed 53 games with a facial laceration. But a lower-body injury to his usual partner Zach Whitecloud — and, to a degree, Shea Theodore — has pushed Hague up the depth chart.
“Now with more injuries, I feel comfortable there and it’s a challenge I accept and like,” Hague said.
Injuries or not, giving Hague this type of responsibility was part of coach Bruce Cassidy’s plan.
Cassidy entered his first Vegas training camp with the idea of giving more responsibility to Hague and Whitecloud. For as good of a third pairing as they’ve been — Ottawa Senators coach D.J. Smith has called them the best third pair in the league — Cassidy hoped they would welcome the challenge.
Part of that thought process was wondering where Martinez would be health-wise to balance out the blue line. With Whitecloud still out month-to-month with a lower-body injury, at least half of that plan has come to fruition.
“When we watch the game, I never see Nic out of position,” Cassidy said. “Unnoticeable makes him better, almost. He’s just there, he’s in the way, he’s got a good stick. He should be better the second half too because of a little bit of familiarity with Petro.”
While Hague was back home in Kitchener, Ontario during the summer, awaiting his new contract, he was in near-daily contact with assistant coach John Stevens to ensure he was as ready to pick up on Cassidy’s system. Hague missed all of preseason because he was an unsigned restricted free agent.
Finding that balance and giving Hague minutes to play with an experienced star in Pietrangelo would provide balance and a great teaching moment.
“When Nic got up to speed here, that was something we felt that we would try to do if he was handling his minutes well at the start, and it evolved with injuries,” Cassidy said. “Sometimes that’s how you find those guys.”
Pietrangelo agrees that the minutes Hague got last year helped in his development as an everyday, reliable defenseman. “Big fella,” as Pietrangelo called him, has shown his effectiveness in how he can use his size and skating ability.
His ability to see the ice well and communicate are also traits that make him valuable.
“That’s a big thing for me,” Pietrangelo said. “If you’re going to play against top players, you’ve got to be able to communicate. He gets on the ice and goes about his business. That’s what you want to see.”
There’s collective pressure on the Golden Knights to repair the sinking ship with the defensemen, as well as Mark Stone, out for long periods of time. A bulk of that pressure will be on the blue line to keep the puck out of the net.
Get used to seeing Hague front and center for those key defensive minutes.
“You see it every year. Guys are going to get hurt. It’s the nature of what we do,” Hague said. “We want to find our stride and get our mojo going.”
GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. CAPITALS
Time: 7 p.m. Saturday
TV: AT&T SportsNet (Cox 313, DirecTV 684)
Radio: Fox Sports 98.9 FM
Livestream: ESPN+
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
