MINNEAPOLIS — James Hagens has had quite a year.
The 18-year-old helped the United States win its second straight gold medal as the top-line center at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in January before following that up with a workmanlike performance as the No. 1 pivot at Boston College as a freshman last season.
He was starry-eyed watching actor Adam Sandler announce him as the No. 7 pick to the Boston Bruins during the 2025 NHL Draft at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater on June 27, gained great experience at Bruins development camp earlier in July, and then attended the premier of Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore 2,” where he met and conversed with the famed actor at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York on July 21.
Whew!
“You’re going from place to place, state to state, so it’s crazy but it’s just something you have to let soak in because it only happens once,” Hagens said.
He’s one of 42 U.S. players attending the World Junior Summer Showcase this week at Ridder Arena, looking to lead and make a difference as the Americans prepare for a possible three-peat at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in St. Paul and Minneapolis from Dec. 26-Jan. 5.
“To have the whole thing behind him probably feels good and then to be drafted by Boston, in the same city that he’s playing college hockey, was probably exciting for him,” said Boston College coach Greg Brown, who is also serving as the assistant coach for the U.S. “I know it just seemed to be a lot … you’d see all the interviews he went through for the draft, and he’s trying to play well and do as well as he can for BC.
“I think now that the whole draft is behind him, he knows where he’ll be to start his pro career. He can concentrate on just playing hockey and that’ll probably be much easier.”
He looks laser focused on helping the U.S. win a third straight gold and do it on home ice for the first time. He has four assists in two exhibition games, playing center on a line with BC teammate Teddy Stiga (Nashville Predators) and right wing Brodie Ziemer (Buffalo Sabres).
“Creating culture is a huge part of this, you don’t want a divided locker room,” Hagens said. “Everyone here knows each other well. I think that’s something that really is helpful. It carries over a ton when you’re able to trust the guy off the ice, when you’re able to just go out there and play freely.”
Hagens tied for the U.S. lead with five goals in seven games to help his country win the championship at the 2025 WJC as the top center between Gabe Perreault (New York Rangers) and Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals).
He also centered Perreault and Leonard at Boston College, where he had 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games.
“James had an unreal year. I can’t speak to the pressure he faced as a top pick in the draft, but I know it’s got to be a lot,” Stiga said. “I was his roommate, so I know what he was going through. It’s hard but I think he handled it well.
“He was a point per game player in college, and that’s hard to do playing with guys like Perreault and Leonard, who are really high skilled. Sometimes you saw him deferring to ‘Lenny,’ but you know he can score with the puck, he can pass the puck, do everything.”
