James Hagens is a 5-foot-11, 185-pound left-shot center from Hauppauge, New York. Hagens played two seasons at Mount St. Charles Academy in Rhode Island and totaled 188 points in 91 games. The skilled forward joined the United States National Development Program for the 2022-23 season and posted 66 points in 43 games for the U17 team and added 19 points in 17 games with the U18 club. Hagens had a terrific World Hockey Championships tournament with the U17 US team by tallying 21 points in seven games. The next season, Hagens dominated with the U18 National Development team by contributing 102 points in 58 games and committed to Boston College. In his first season in the Hockey East Conference, Hagens registered 37 points in 37 games and plans to return to The Heights for the 2025-26 season.
James Hagens is ranked by some hockey evaluators in the top five in the upcoming draft as a center. The following list will show the scouting rankings for James Hagens:
Ranked #5 by Inside The Rink
Ranked #3 by NHL Central Scouting (North American skaters)
Ranked #3 by Daily Faceoff
Ranked #1 by Recruit Scouting
Ranked #4 by Sportsnet
Ranked #2 by TSN/Bob McKenzie
Scouting Report
Hagens entered the 2024-25 season as the number one prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft by many pundits, but has slipped behind defenseman Matthew Schaefer and forward Michael Misa in many mock drafts. Still, Hagens had a solid freshman season at Boston College and is considered an offensive talent with potential to be a top-six forward at the NHL level. Hagens is a terrific skater with high-end playmaking ability. His size is a little bit of a concern as a center in the NHL, but all signs are there for Hagens to have a solid NHL career.
Projection:
First Round – #5 Nashville
Season 4. Episode 35. Riding the Sturm Out. – Bruins Benders Podcast
Discover more from Inside The Rink
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
One thought on “2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: James Hagens”