{"id":549112,"date":"2026-04-10T00:21:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T00:21:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/549112\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T00:21:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T00:21:33","slug":"what-james-hagens-said-after-his-first-practice-with-bruins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/549112\/","title":{"rendered":"What James Hagens said after his first practice with Bruins"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBoston Bruins\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\u201c[I] grew up working for this my whole life.”<\/p>\n

\"Bruins
\n\tJames Hagens could play as soon as Saturday for the Bruins. David L Ryan\/The Boston Globe\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Conor Ryan<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tApril 9, 2026 | 6:27 PM\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

3 minutes to read<\/p>\n

Fresh off his first skate as a member of the Bruins, James Hagens stressed repeatedly in the locker room that he isn\u2019t looking too far ahead.<\/p>\n

The 19-year-old\u2019s first order of business as an NHLer?<\/p>\n

\u201cLearn where all the doors open to and learn where everything goes,\u201d Hagens said Thursday of getting his bearings at Warrior Ice Arena. \u201cSo that\u2019s first. It\u2019s just staying in the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

For all of the buzz surrounding the Bruins\u2019 top prospect\u00a0after putting pen to paper on his entry-level contract<\/a>, Hagens and his new head coach did what they could to temper talk of the skilled forward\u2019s immediate impact on a club seemingly destined for the playoffs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is his day today,\u201d Marco Sturm<\/a> said of Hagens. \u201c[Friday], we\u2019ll talk about lines and things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hagens\u2019s first official day as a Bruin was more about getting the former Boston College standout acclimated to his new teammates \u2014 a group that could use his dynamic skating ability and creative playmaking to spark an uneven offense with three games to go.<\/p>\n

Hagens\u2019s new stall \u2014 with his No. 44 nametag \u2014 is situated in the corner of the locker room, next to Mason Lohrei. A few lockers down are veteran defensemen Nikita Zadorov, Hampus Lindholm, and Charlie McAvoy.<\/p>\n

Across the room from Hagens? Fraser Minten, the 21-year-old center whose soaring career trajectory should be one Hagens aims to mimic.<\/p>\n

Next to Minten is Tanner Jeannot, the pugnacious winger who could be tasked with shepherding Hagens through his first few games against NHL competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pure excitement. Walking in here right away, being able to meet everybody \u2026 These are guys that are role models for you, people that you look up to, and now you\u2019re sitting in a stall next to all of them,\u201d Hagens said. \u201cSo it\u2019s pretty surreal. It\u2019s really cool, and it\u2019s just something you have to soak in.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bruins lit the lamp five times against the Hurricanes during Tuesday\u2019s overtime defeat in Raleigh, N.C. Hagens\u2019s arrival should give a few critical areas of Boston\u2019s depth chart a spark.<\/p>\n

A sputtering power play \u2014 27th (16.4 percent) since returning from the Olympic break \u2014 should get more looks if Hagens is the one tasked with ferrying the puck through the neutral zone and manufacturing clean zone entries.<\/p>\n

Hagens\u2019s passing ability and edge work make him a dangerous facilitator when stapled to a line with shoot-first forwards.<\/p>\n

After scoring 23 goals and 47 points over 34 games as a BC sophomore, Hagens could elevate the scoring capabilities of a Bruins third line that has often found itself stuck in neutral over the last few months.<\/p>\n

A spot next to Elias Lindholm and Morgan Geekie might hold some appeal, while Sturm might also opt to reshuffle his depth chart and slot Hagens next to younger skaters like Minten and an on-ice deterrent such as Jeannot.<\/p>\n

Sturm \u2014 who praised Hagens\u2019s ability to adjust to the rigors of pro hockey during his six-game stint with Providence (one goal, three assists) \u2014 was noncommittal when asked about the young forward\u2019s expected NHL debut.<\/p>\n

The next game is a home matinee on Saturday against the Lightning \u2014\u00a0a club the Bruins could meet in the first round of the playoffs.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cMy job is to do the right thing for this team, but also I want to protect this kid,\u201d Sturm said. \u201cIt\u2019s not fair sometimes, either to throw players in situations where they can\u2019t handle it or maybe they\u2019re not ready. When is the right time? Next game? Following game? Whatever it is, I will do that. But I need a lot of the right boxes before I do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s where we\u2019re at right now. If I feel like this kid can help us, he\u2019ll play,\u201d Sturm added of Hagens, who is expected to play on the wing this season.<\/p>\n

Sturm\u2019s caution is to be expected for a coach well aware of the growing pains that await Hagens as he braces for high-stakes hockey at the sport\u2019s highest level.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a challenge that Hagens welcomes.<\/p>\n

\u201c[I] grew up working for this my whole life,\u201d Hagens said when asked if he\u2019s ready for the NHL. \u201c[I] just want it really bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Profile\t<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the Today newsletter<\/p>\n

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