Get To Know Bruins First-Rounder James Hagens!

Get To Know Bruins First-Rounder James Hagens!

I know it’s been a whirlwind. It’s been a whirlwind since when? Since like getting to LA or since before even. Um I think honestly sitting down and seeing Happy Gilmore up on the screen. I think that’s kind of when it starts. You know, you have a guy that you uh you love. You watch all of his movies and then he’s the one announcing your pick in the NHL. It’s a pretty cool moment. So, the Boston Bruins select from Boston College, James Hagens. Way to go, homie. They look for more and they get more. And it is Hagens who joins the party. James Haggin, his seventh of the What are you running on right now? Just kind of excitement. Um, you know, you get here, you want to first thing you want to do is be able to get on the ice and and wear this jersey, put on this uniform. Um, it takes so much pride and being a Bruin. And, uh, when you get your first opportunity to wear the jersey, you don’t say no. So, development camp is actually pretty new in the NHL. Hasn’t been around forever, I think, the last 15, 20 years. some guys didn’t go through it. Do you think it’s like beneficial for guys to have a development camp instead of kind of blind go into the summer? Yeah. Uh I love this. I love how, you know, they’re able to get all these all their prospects together. Um and you’re able to hang out with guys that will eventually be on the team one day and get to build that connection. So I I love all the stuff we do out on the ice and off the ice with between the training and working out. You get to meet all the staff. You get to feel comfortable. Um it’s your new home. So, been asking all the guys about bulking up, putting on weight. Are you enjoying that part or is it kind of like you want to barf cuz you have to eat so much? Like, um, no. I was able to put on a lot of weight actually. I think I’m around 190 now. So, I’ve been I’ve been able to, you know, gain weight in the time I’ve been home. It’s just been really helpful. Did you hear from any former Bruins when you got drafted? Um, David Posh called me um right after the draft, which was really cool. I was able to speak to Macka Boy um who’s a door up as well. So, about like people you haven’t talked to in 10 years or like old coaches or teachers like anyone random come into your life again. Um I think you know before the draft I I got a letter from my my elementary school teacher first grade um then my fifth grade teachers. Uh it was I think I wrote a letter um what I wanted to do when I was older. So they they sent it back to me which was really cool. It was pretty funny reading that um seeing the things that you write as a as an elementary school kid and you know now you’re you’re picked by the Bruins. Um you’re living out your dream. So uh tell me about this bracelet I just peeped it. Um it’s a bracelet that my billet brothers well uh Michigan one of the billets there. So he made me. It says James uh BC Eagles Duke and John. So yeah, they’re they’re little. Um, yeah. They asked me if I could wear it every day if they made it and I haven’t taken it off since. What are you looking forward to at this season with BC? What do you want to prove to yourself maybe? Yeah. Um, you want to win a national championship and you want to win a bean pot. Um, you want to be able to go out for the school, for the people that believe in the team and for everything that um, all of us put into it. You want to be able to, you know, win both those. So, do you watch Shores or Letter Kenny ever? I watch Shy. You do? What do you think of the like hockey impressions? How accurate are they? Um, they’re pretty funny. It’s It’s entertaining. A bunch of the all the freshman at BC, we got together and we’d watch every episode. So, tell me one bad thing about William Moore. No, I’m just kidding. I’m just not in this. Not today. Not in there.

Sophia Jurksztowicz caught up with Bruins prospect James Hagens at Bruins Development Camp to learn more about his draft experience, time at development camp, friendship bracelets, and goals for his upcoming season with Boston College.