How Bruins prospect James Hagens hopes playing for Team USA speeds his development

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How Bruins prospect James Hagens hopes playing for Team USA speeds his development

Matt Vautour · MassLive

Mon, May 4, 2026 ·

4 min read

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BOSTON — After watching the last three games of the Bruins ' season, from the ninth floor of TD Garden, James Hagens was eager to pull a familiar uniform back on to continue his development.

After leading Hockey East in scoring while earning All-America honors for Boston College as a sophomore, Hagens turned pro in March. The Bruins ' first-round draft pick in 2025 played briefly in Providence before being called up to the NHL. He played the last two games of the regular season and the first three playoff games for Boston.

But as the Bruins struggled after Game 3, Marco Sturm changed his lineup and sat down his least experienced forward.

Now, instead of going back to the AHL to help the Providence Bruins in their playoff run, Hagens will head to Switzerland to play for Team USA in the World Championships. That will keep him playing with and against NHL players.

Marco Sturm coached the German National Team in the World Championships earlier in his career and saw Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl used the experience to boost his career.

"I'm so excited that he has that chance to play. That was one of my first questions after we got kicked out - is he going?," Sturm said. "Because I know the importance of being with Team Germany and even coaching and go through the process with Leon Draisaitl.

"I explained that situation (to Hagens), it was massive, massive," Sturm said. "(Hagens) is still a kid. Now we have to be patient too, but we wanted (him) to be a man quick as possible, and those kind of tournaments and experiences it's the best. So I'm very happy that he has a chance to go there, to play against men too."

Before Boston College, Hagens played for the United States National Development Program and twice played for Team USA at the World Junior Championships.

"I'm really excited. It'll be cool getting that experience and being around guys like that as well," he said. "You get a chance to go out and play more games. So you just got to make sure that you bring over good habits and you learn from it too."

Roster commitments are still coming for the tournament, but Hagens could be reunited on a line with his former BC linemate Ryan Leonard . The Capitals forward from Amherst just finished his first full season. After Washington missed the playoffs, he committed to extending his season for Team USA.

Bruins' Jeremy Swayman , Mason Lohrei and Andrew Peeke all played for Team USA last year after Boston missed the playoffs.

Hagens is hoping to make this trip part of his overall quest to get faster and stronger.

"I really want to work on my speed. You have to be able to move. These are the best guys in the world," he said. "I also want to get stronger, I want to be able to hold my own. When you go into corners with guys, you want to be able to use your body. You want to be able to create space for yourself."

Lots of guys say they want to get faster. Those are easy answers to give when asked about improvement goals. But Hagens' speed desire was much more specific.

"Your first couple steps, they have to be strong, so working on that and when you have some time to skate, hopefully you try to take off," he said. "I think your first two steps, it kind of separates you from the defender. So that's something that I really want to work on. That's something that I will be taking a lot of pride in, especially during the offseason. It's something that could really benefit you out there."

It's not just foot speed. Hagens wants to see things develop and process the game faster too.

"Mentally you have to be able to kind of see the play before it happens. You have to be able to think right away. You don't have too much time and space, so you have to be able to make plays," he said. "You have to be able to move out there, especially when you get the puck."

Hagens will briefly head home to Hauppauge, New York, to recharge his batteries before heading to Switzerland. The event starts on May 15.

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