The Boston Bruins drafted Boston College forward James Hagens in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
Hagens was predicted to go No. 1 at the beginning of the year but fell to No. 7 to the Bruins on Friday.
He’s a 5-foot-11, 177-pound forward from Long Island coming off his freshman season with the Eagles. At BC, he totaled 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points, which was third on the team, just behind now-NHLers Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault.
Hagens played with the Bruins’ 2024 first-round draft pick, Dean Letourneau, both in the Eagles’ freshmen class.
Despite being undersized, Hagens makes up for it with his puck movement and speed.
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“Someone that loves to compete.” Hagens said on the ESPN draft broadcast about what the Bruins are getting. “Someone that is going to put his blood, heart and soul on the line. I know how much pride the Bruins fans take in their team.”
His skating ability and vision made him jump at the NCAA level during his freshman season. He has a passing mentality, which shows in his 26 assists at BC.
“He’s the player you want carrying the puck through the neutral zone to beat a conservative forecheck, and he is tough to contain in the offensive zone, as he usually finds ways to scoot out of pockets of pressure,” Bleacher Report’s Adam Herman wrote about Hagens.
He set a new scoring record at the 2024 World U18 Championships with 22 points. In 2023-24 with the U.S. U-18 National Development Program, he had 102 points in 58 games. He passed players like Matthew Tkachuk (95), Ryan Leonard (94) and Phil Kessel (98).
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If Hagens decides to go back to BC for an extra season, he will most likely be their top-line center. He has a chance to grow his shot with the Eagles, his biggest area of weakness. He said on the draft broadcast that he will talk with the Bruins before he makes an official decision.