Boston Bruins
Hagens is coming off a sophomore season at Boston College in which he scored 47 points in 34 games.
James Huggins helped BC win its first Beanpot since 2016 in February. Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe
The Boston Bruins’ top prospects are turning pro.
The Bruins announced Monday night that Boston College forward James Hagens has signed an AHL amateur tryout (ATO) agreement, ending his collegiate career after two seasons in Chestnut Hill.
Hagens will begin his professional career with the Providence Bruins, as the skilled forward joins Providence for their team’s practice at Amica Mutual Pavilion on Tuesday morning.
Barring any setbacks, he is expected to play his first game with the Providence Bruins on Wednesday night in Springfield against the Thunderbirds.
“We are very excited to have James join the Bruins organization and take this next step,” Don Sweeney said in a team statement. He added: “James is an important part of our future, and this is a great opportunity for him to gain immediate experience at the professional level at Providence and continue his development, while keeping all options open.”
Huggins, 19, is one of the most lauded prospects to come through Boston’s system in quite some time.
The seventh overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Hagens stood as a consolation prize amid Boston’s disastrous 2024-25 campaign.
The talented striker was once considered the best prospect in his class, Even drawing comparisons to Jack Hughes After filling the statistics sheet with the US National Team Development Program.
But, even after scoring 37 points in 37 games as a freshman at BC, Hagens saw his draft stock decline, with questions persisting about his size and production compared to the hype he created in the NTDP.
The Bruins welcomed the opportunity to add such premium talent to their production line, especially after the draft lottery dropped them two spots from the projected fifth spot.
“I think it’s a little unfair as far as players coming in as a freshman,” Swinney said of Huggins’ first year at BC after being recruited last June. “If you look at James’ track record, he’s been a prolific producer. If you’ve seen him at the World Junior Championships – again, against his peer group, he was at the top level on the production side.”
“He will be absolutely fine moving forward,” Soye added. “That’s why we drafted him. We feel like he’s a guy that can help offensively and continue to play his 200-foot game, but he wants to play it in every situation and he’s produced at every level he’s been at.”
Hagens impressed in his second season with the Eagles, scoring 23 goals and 47 points in 34 games – helping BC win its first Beanpot since 2016 and finish in the top 10 as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
The Long Island native received praise from Boston College head coach Greg Brown on Friday when asked about the progress he made as a sophomore.
“He’s got a lot of dimensions to his game,” Brown said of Huggins, who has played primarily on the wing this season for the Eagles. “The defensive side of the puck. The details. He can always carry the puck. Unbelievable offensive ideas, the vision. You see the ideas coming out of his head as he carries the puck through the neutral zone. So that part has always been there.”
“But he’s added to his offensive game. But he’s really added to his complete game. … He’s not just a talent. He’s a student of the game. So, it’s great to see him grow in so many areas.”
With Hagins now in the fold, he appears to be on a similar path Charlie McAvoy He turned professional after his second season at Boston University.
McAvoy initially signed an amateur tryout (ATO) contract with the Providence Bruins after switching with the talented blueliner to get some experience against AHL competition after two years in Hockey East.
McAvoy eventually played four games with Providence that spring before eventually signing his contract with Boston after the Bruins’ D team was wiped out by injuries in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
By starting his career in Providence, Hagens will get some competition against high competition and give Boston some time to evaluate how he adjusts to the professional game.
If he succeeds in Providence, the Bruins could sign Hagens to their ELC later this season — allowing him to move up to the professional ranks as Boston prepares for a playoff push.
Speaking Monday, Bruins coach Marco Sturm said he had no concerns about putting a potential player like Hagens in the NHL lineup.
“It’s always a challenge for everyone. It also depends to some extent on your age. So the good thing with me, on the past – especially in… [the Kings’ AHL affiliate] ONTARIO — “I always had college students come over,” Sturm said. “They’re college kids and they’ve never played against men.
“So it’s always a challenge. But I haven’t seen a problem because I feel like the league in general is part of the game now. … There’s a lot of players now. It’s like it’s part of the game now, with — this time of year — college kids coming in.”
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