James Hagens Reveals First Bruins Star That Reached Out To Him After 2025 Draft

The Boston Bruins were thrilled to see star Boston College Eagles center James Hagens fall to them at the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. After selecting him with that pick, it sounds like it didn’t take long for Hagens’ new teammates to begin reaching out to him.

In his first season with the Eagles, Hagens scored 11 goals and dished out 26 assists in 37 games. Those numbers helped him earn a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie team, and it solidified his standing as one of the top prospects in the 2025 draft class.

While Hagens seems likely to return to Boston College for at least one more season, it’s clear that he has the potential to become the Bruins’ next great No. 1 center, which is something the team hasn’t necessarily had since Patrice Bergeron retired back in 2023.

With that in mind, it’s clear that Hagens is an important part of the B’s future. That led to several players on the team reaching out to him after he was selected, with Hagens revealing that one of the team’s new alternate captains, David Pastrnak, was the first player he heard from.

“David Pastrnak was the first Bruins player to reach out to James Hagens,” Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub shared in a post on X. “Talked to him draft night. And then Nikita Zadorov (today at Warrior) and Charlie McAvoy (FaceTime).”

The Bruins may have struggled last season, but it didn’t stop Pastrnak from putting together another strong season. He played in all 82 games for the third straight season, scoring 43 goals while tying his career-high for assists with 63.

Pastrnak also wasn’t the only Bruins player to get in touch with Hagens, as Nikita Zadorov and the team’s other alternate captain, Charlie McAvoy, quickly reached out to him too. As Hagens transitions to the pros, it will surely be reassuring for him to have the early support of his new teammates.

With the draft in the rearview mirror, general manager Don Sweeney and the rest of the front office are turning their attention to free agency. They have already re-signed a handful of players over the past 24 hours, with the six-year extension that was handed to Morgan Geekie being the most important deal of the bunch.