Bruins sign Boston College forward and Beanpot star James Hagens to 3-year deal

By Canadian Press on April 8, 2026.

BOSTON (AP) — The Bruins have signed former Boston College forward and reigning Beanpot MVP James Hagens to a three-year deal with an annual cap hit of $975,000.

The 19-year-old Hagens was the seventh overall pick in last year’s draft. He led Hockey East with 23 goals and 47 points as a sophomore this season and scored six game-winning goals and two hat tricks.

He was the MVP in BC’s Beanpot victory after scoring two goals with three assists to help the Eagles claim the coveted bragging rights of Boston for the first time in a decade. Hagens joined Providence of the AHL in March and had one goal and three assists in six games.

Hagens won a gold medal at the 2025 World Junior Championships and was the MVP in the under-18 world championships in 2024, when he set the single-tournament scoring record with 22 points.

He is expected to join the Bruins immediately and could make his NHL debut on Saturday, when they play the Atlantic Division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning. Boston leads the Eastern Conference wild-card race with 96 points with three games remaining and is on the verge of clinching a playoff berth.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Jimmy Golen, The Associated Press