The Bruins added a major talent to their prospect pipeline on Friday night when Boston College’s James Hagens, ranked the No. 1 talent in the world before this season, fell to the Bruins at No. 7 and they selected the Long Island native, immediately making him the club’s top prospect.
“I love Boston, I love the area,” Hagens told ESPN.
Hagens seemed every bit as tickled that his name was called by Adam Sandler aka Happy Gilmore.
“I’ll remember that forever,” beamed a smiling Hagens.
There was one uncomfortable moment when the Bruins’ brass on Causeway Street, trying to interface with Hagens at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles via Zoom, could not hear the player and the broadcast had to move on.
Hopefully for the B’s and Hagens’ sake, that will be the only glitch in his development.
The 5-11, 177pound Hagens had a very good year at BC but he didn’t have the same kind of sensational season that last year’s No. 1 pick, Macklin Celebrini, had at Boston University. But playing between Ryan Leonard and Gabriel Perrault, Hagens had 11-26-37 totals in 37 games, which is not bad for a player which began his NCAA season. Playing with those two future NHLers, he had little choice but to be a set-up man.
Before arriving at BC, Hagens had 39 goals and 63 points for US National U18 team in 2023-24. He was also part of the 2025 Team USA that won the World Junior Championships, ranking second among US players with nine points. He was named MVP of the USA’s 2024 silver medal winning team in the U18 World Junior Championships, notching 22 points in seven games.
There was some speculation earlier in the day that, after the Islanders had traded Noah Dobson to Montreal for the 16th and 17th pick, that they may make a run at the No. 7 pick with those two picks so that could could add their hometown boy Hagens to a first round haul that include first overall pick Matthew Schaefer.
But if the Islanders made any kind of offer, the B’s resisted any temptation they might have had.
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