BOSTON -- When James Hagens walked out of the Boston Bruins locker room, white practice jersey on and stick in hand, it was the culmination of a lifelong dream. He was bound for the ice at Warrior Ice Arena, about to take part in the first practice of his NHL career.
"This is a dream come true for me, something I grew up my whole life dreaming of, and to be able to be here, part of an NHL organization, it's a really special moment," Hagens said.
The Bruins' top prospect, a 19-year-old center selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, signed an American Hockey League amateur tryout agreement with the Providence Bruins on March 23, after his sophomore season at Boston College. He played six games for Providence (one goal, three assists) before learning around 1 p.m. on Wednesday that he was bound for Boston, signing his three-year entry-level contract (average annual value of $975,000).
When Hagens will make his NHL debut remains up in the air. Bruins coach Marco Sturm declined to confirm that it would happen against the Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden on Saturday (12:30 p.m. ET; ABC, SNW). Boston then visits the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.
"When is the right time? Next game? The following game? Whatever it is, I will do that, but I want to make sure I hit the right boxes before I do that," Sturm said.
With the Bruins having three days off following a 6-5 overtime loss at the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, the timing seemed right for the callup, allowing Hagens to skate at an optional practice Thursday and a full practice Friday.
It's something Hagens can understand.
Asked about what he'd like to accomplish in the NHL, he said, "Just stay where your feet are, take it day by day. There's no need to look ahead or anything like that. Just be in the moment, learn where all the doors open to and learn where everything goes. That's first, so it's just stay in the moment."
Sturm would not commit to where Hagens might slot into the lineup either, though left wing on the third line would seem most likely. He did say that Hagens will not play center this season, though he was drafted as a center and his future seems to be at the position.
But not in 2025-26.
"To answer the question, it's probably a wing for sure," Sturm said. "Because right now we feel very comfortable with our centermen and it's not fair to put him in as a centerman because he didn't play it all year long. I think he's in a safe spot here as a wing.
"Moving forward, we'll see. I would love to see him as a centerman because he has that speed and ability to move pucks, but definitely not this year."
Hagens played two seasons at Boston College, where he had 47 points (23 goals, 24 assists) and six game-winning goals in 34 games this season. He trained at the United States National Team Development Program before heading to BC, where he had 187 points (72 goals, 115 assists) in 118 games, the fifth most in NTDP history.
"Obviously very high-skilled, good on the power play," Sturm said. "Structure wise, that's something that the details in the structure, he had to be aware and so he was focusing on that. I asked him about it, said, yeah, no, it was faster too, so it was a big jump for him (in Providence).
"But feedback was good. He did overall a good job. Still obviously needs to learn a lot of things, but that's more structure wise than anything else."
That's where Sturm is cautious given where the Bruins (43-26-10) are in the standings, about how crucial every play and every point are and how there's little room for mistakes. They hold the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of the Ottawa Senators and six behind the third-place Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic Division.
Boston will clinch a playoff berth Thursday if the Toronto Maple Leafs defeat the New York Islanders in regulation, the Philadelphia Flyers defeat the Detroit Red Wings in regulation, and the Buffalo Sabres defeat the Blue Jackets in regulation.
For now, Sturm wants Hagens to soak up the accomplishment and worry about the rest later.
"This is a great day for James," Sturm said. "Not just in his bank account, having a few more bucks in the bank, but also being a National Hockey (League) player. Being a pro. Being a Boston Bruin. Coming here to hang out with the guys. This is what was his dream, right? He told me that a few weeks ago, so now it came real."
