BRIGHTON, Mass. — As soon as Happy Gilmore announced James Hagens as the seventh overall pick by the Boston Bruins in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the immediate question became how soon will he be wearing a Spoked-B across his chest.
If Hagens had it his way, it’d be as soon as next season.
“You want to be ready,” Hagens said as the Bruins wrapped up prospect development camp Thursday at Warrior Ice Arena. “You want to be able to work for a roster spot with the Bruins, whether that’s going back to school or you’re doing it right away. I want to be Bruin really bad, so no matter the timeline, I’ll work towards that.”
That much was made clear during the first day of camp when Hagens, on all of just two hours of sleep after a cross-country flight from Los Angeles the night before, was a full-participant, even after coaches gave him and William Moore an excused absence.
That, of course, spoke volumes to the Bruins, and only re-affirmed their belief in Hagens. However, they’re still not ready to say whether he will be on their roster come the fall.
“You do like that he has that mindset and wants [to reach] that goal as soon as possible, but we’ll talk through it,” Bruins player development coordinator Adam McQuaid said. “It’s a long game. We’ll figure out what’s the best path for him.”
If Hagens isn’t skating on Causeway Street, he’ll return to Chestnut Hill for another season at Boston College.
The 18-year-old put together a strong campaign as a freshman at BC last year. Although his numbers weren’t spectacular compared to his previous standard, he still registered 39 points in 37 games while centering the top line for the No. 1 ranked Eagles.
The Bruins aren’t at all concerned with the perceived drop in Hagens’ production. Nor are they with the fact that he’ll have to figure out how to play without either of his linemates from last season, Ryan Leonard and Gabriel Perreault, who have both already graduated to the NHL. If anything, that’s exactly what they want to see from their new top prospect.
“I think in some ways it’s going to benefit him,” said McQuaid. “Continuing to ramp up the commitment level and consistent impact that he’s capable of having, that’s the big thing for a lot of young players, bringing the consistency night in and night out. It’s not always going to be perfect. But just bringing the effort, and wanting to be a driver and a difference maker like he wants to be, will help him along in that process.”
Hagens did all he could in development camp to prove to the Bruins brass that he’s ready to take the next step. Even then, he knows that he may still fall short despite his best efforts.
“You want to crack the lineup here,”Hagens said. “It’s going to be really hard. You have to do all you can. It’s not easy at all.”
It’s better that Hagens realizes that now.
The Bruins hold a high standard for their prospects. They’ve never been the kind of organization that’s rushed its young players along, regardless of how high they were drafted.
“Long days and short years,”said McQuaid. “It’s making guys understand that they’re young now, but their careers are going to go by quickly. They need to appreciate every day that they have doing this, and bring the best that they have on a daily basis.”
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