Bruins’ prospect James Hagens turns professional, will begin in Windfall

Hagens is coming off a sophomore season at Boston School the place he posted 47 factors in 34 video games.

James Hagens helped BC win its first Beanpot since 2016 in February. Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe

The Boston Bruins’ prime prospect goes professional.

The Bruins introduced on Monday night time that Boston School ahead James Hagens has signed an AHL beginner tryout settlement (ATO), ending his collegiate profession after two seasons at Chestnut Hill.

Hagens will start his professional profession with the Windfall Bruins, with the expert ahead becoming a member of Windfall for his or her workforce follow at Amica Mutual Pavilion on Tuesday morning.

Barring any setbacks, he’s anticipated to play his first sport for the Windfall Bruins on Wednesday night time in Springfield in opposition to the Thunderbirds.

“We’re very excited to have James be a part of the Bruins group and take this subsequent step,” Don Sweeney stated in a workforce launch. “James is a crucial a part of our future, and this can be a nice alternative for him to get speedy expertise on the skilled degree in Windfall and proceed his improvement, whereas maintaining all choices open.”

Hagens, 19, stands as some of the lauded prospects to return by means of Boston’s system in a while.

The seventh total choose within the 2025 NHL Draft, Hagens stood as a comfort prize amid a disastrous 2024-25 marketing campaign in Boston.

The gifted ahead as soon as held court docket as the highest prospect in his draft class, even drawing comparisons to Jack Hughes after stuffing the stat sheet with the U.S. Nationwide Crew Improvement Program.

However, even after posting 37 factors in 37 video games as a freshman at BC, Hagens noticed his inventory slip going into the draft, with questions persisting over his measurement and his manufacturing relative to the hype he generated within the NTDP.

The Bruins welcomed the chance so as to add such a blue-chip expertise to their pipeline, particularly after the draft lottery dropped them two spots down from their projected No. 5 spot.

“I feel that’s somewhat unfair when it comes to gamers entering into as a freshman,” Sweeney stated of Hagens’ first 12 months at BC after drafting him final June. “You look again at James’ monitor report, he’s been a prolific level producer. For those who’d seen him within the World Juniors — once more, in opposition to his peer group, he was on the higher echelon on the manufacturing aspect of issues.

“He’ll be completely positive transferring ahead,” Sweeey added. “And that’s why we drafted him. We really feel he’s a man that may assist generate offensively and proceed to spherical out his 200-foot sport, however desires to play it at each single state of affairs and has produced at each degree that he’s been at.”

Hagens impressed in his second season with the Eagles, scoring 23 objectives and posting 47 factors in 34 video games — serving to BC win its first Beanpot since 2016 and ending as a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.

The Lengthy Island native drew reward from Boston School head coach Greg Brown on Friday when requested concerning the development he made as a sophomore.

“He’s received so many extra dimensions to his sport,” Brown stated of Hagens, who performed totally on the wing this season with the Eagles. “The defensive aspect of the puck. The element. He may at all times carry a puck in. Unbelievable offensive concepts, imaginative and prescient. You see the concepts coming out of his head as he’s carrying the puck by means of the impartial zone. In order that half was at all times there.

“However he’s added to his offensive sport. However, he’s actually added to his full sport. … He’s not only a expertise. He’s a scholar of the sport. So, it’s nice to see his progress in so many areas.”

With Hagens now within the fold, he’s seemingly on a path much like the one which Charlie McAvoy took after going professional following his sophomore season at Boston College.

McAvoy initially signed an beginner tryout (ATO) contract with the Windfall Bruins after turning with the gifted blueliner getting some expertise in opposition to AHL competitors after two years in Hockey East.

McAvoy in the end performed 4 video games with Windfall that spring earlier than finally signing his entry-level contract with Boston after the Bruins’ D corps was decimated by accidents going into the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

By beginning his profession in Windfall, Hagens will get some run in opposition to elevated competitors and provides Boston a while to guage how he acclimates to the professional sport.

If he thrives in Windfall, the Bruins may signal Hagens to his ELC later this season — permitting him to make the bounce as much as the professional ranks as Boston readies for a playoff push.

Talking on Monday, Bruins head coach Marco Sturm stated he had no qualms over placing a prospect like Hagens into an NHL lineup.

“It’s at all times a problem for everybody. Relies upon somewhat bit too what sort of age you’re in. So the great factor is with me, over the previous — particularly in [the Kings’ AHL affiliate] Ontario — I at all times had faculty youngsters coming in,” Sturm stated. “They’re faculty youngsters they usually by no means performed in opposition to males.

“So it’s at all times a problem. However, I didn’t see an issue as a result of I really feel like within the league generally, it’s a part of the sport now. … There’s so many guys now. It’s nearly prefer it’s a part of the sport now, having — this time of the 12 months — faculty youngsters coming in.”