Bruins sign top prospect James Hagens to entry-level contract
The Boston Bruins announced on Wednesday that they have signed top prospect James Hagens to a three-year, entry-level contract.
The news comes about two weeks after Hagens signed an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) with the team’s AHL affiliate Providence Bruins to begin his professional career.
The contract will begin this season and carry a salary cap hit of $975,000 at the NHL level.
Hagens is here. The #NHLBruins have signed James Hagens to a three-year, entry-level contract. 📰: bit.ly/3PP4WKS
In six games with Providence, Hagens has recorded a goal and three assists. The Long Island native spent the year playing out his sophomore season with Boston College, where he put up 47 points in 34 games. Hagens also was a key member of Team USA’s squad at the IIHF U20 World Junior Championships, where he compiled seven points in five contests.
It’s been an eventful D+1 year for Hagens, who went to Boston with the No. 7 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. Upon his selection, Hagens immediately became the gem of a solid Bruins prospect pipeline, According to Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis, Hagens is the No. 1 prospect in the system.
“Scouts love him for the way he skates and distributes the puck, allowing him to absolutely dominate shifts at points,” Ellis wrote. “Hagens has all the makings of a No. 1 center in the next few years.”
The Bruins hope that Hagens will add some offensive punch to the team’s forward group at a crucial juncture of the season.
Boston currently holds the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, but the Bruins have dropped their past four games to close out a challenging road trip.
With a record of 43-26-10, Bruins are three points away from mathematically clinching a playoff spot, a number that could drop if the Columbus Blue Jackets drop points in their remaining games.
Hagens could be set to make his NHL debut at TD Garden on Sunday when the Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning.