James Hagens is set to join the AHL's Providence Bruins on an amateur tryout after his NCAA season ended.
Boston Bruins prospect James Hagens will sign an AHL amateur tryout agreement, the team announced Monday evening.
Hagens, drafted seventh overall by the Bruins in 2025, finished his NCAA season with Boston College, which lost to the University of Connecticut 4-3 in overtime during the Hockey East semifinals. The center put up 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points in 34 games, leading the Hockey East conference in scoring.
The 19-year-old was named to Hockey East's first all-star team and is also a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top NCAA men's hockey player of the season.
"We're very excited to have James join the Bruins organization and take this next step," Bruins GM Don Sweeney said in a news release. "James is an important part of our future, and this is a great opportunity for him to get immediate experience at the professional level in Providence and continue his development, while keeping all options open."
Amateur tryouts are for players without any professional experience, often coming from college hockey. They're temporary contracts often handed out near the end of the season after their collegiate campaign ends.
If the Bruins want to sign Hagens to an entry-level contract that begins next season, this ATO with Providence won't burn a year off his term. But if the NHL squad wants him to call him up and have him play a game, he would need to sign his entry-level contract for this season.
Hagens is the No. 1-ranked Bruins prospect, according to The Hockey News' Future Watch 2026 issue. Hagens was even considered a potential first overall pick heading into last season, before Matthew Schaefer and other players improved their stock and were selected higher.
While he's often a creative playmaker, Hagens improved his goal-scoring in his sophomore season, going from 11 goals in his first year to 23 now.
The Bruins' director of player development, Adam McQuaid, told The Hockey News that Hagens has improved at using inside ice. Prospect expert Tony Ferrari noted that Hagens has developed his functional physicality as well.
The Hauppauge, N.Y., native has won gold at the World Junior Championship, the World U-18s and the U-17 World Hockey Challenge for Team USA.
When it came time for the Bruins to select Hagens at the 2025 NHL draft in Los Angeles, they played a video by comedian and actor-filmmaker Adam Sandler wearing a Bruins jersey and announcing the pick.
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