2025 NHL Draft Diary: James Hagens

James Hagens of Boston College in Hockey East will file a draft diary for NHL.com this season leading up to the 2025 NHL Draft. The 17-year-old center (5-foot-10, 178 pounds), who was born in Hauppauge, New York, is an A rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list and a projected first-round pick. He has 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) in 10 games this season. Hagens led the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team with 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) in 58 games last season.

Hello hockey fans,

It's been quite a month, and it began with a memorable tribute game at home for former Boston College players Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Gaudreau, and Tony Voce, against Maine on Nov. 8.

Skating out for warmups, some players wearing a jersey with Gaudreau on the back and some wearing Voce on the back really hit home after the tragic events that happened. I feel like that night we kind of played for them. We understood that those guys put their heart and soul out on the ice every single time they got the opportunity to play. Our mission was to play hard in their memory.

We all understood that you have to be so grateful to be out on that ice, playing in that moment, playing in that game against Maine. We never gave up. We were relentless that night. We ended up coming back (from down 2-0 to win 3-2) and the support that we had in that building, the fans, was incredible. We were super grateful for that. You kind of just look back at that night and know that we won that one for the players that passed. It was just a really big moment and a game I'll never forget.

Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals) scored the game-winner with 1:33 left in the third period. I was kind of reading the guy defending as 'Lenny' and I went in 2-on-1. I was thinking, at first, maybe I could shoot it or create a rebound. I obviously wanted to get the puck to him, and I saw him beat his guy, so I just ended up putting it in space over by him and he put in the back of the net.

On Tuesday, we had a big 3-2 win in overtime at Providence. It was a fast game. It was a good game. It came down to the last minute there in OT and we found a way to grind that one out. Lenny scored the winner in that one, too. The team knew that if we kind of stayed in it and kept fighting, we'd find a way to come back and win and that's what we were able to do.

Leonard's game-winner was an awkward kind of play. It's kind of one of those things that just happens and there's no explanation, really. It's a hockey play, and kind of getting a little lucky, but we'll take it.

It's been great having an opportunity to play on a line with Leonard and Gabe Perreault (New York Rangers). It's something I'm super grateful for. I'm out there with them so I get to see all the things they do and to be able to say you're a part of it, is super cool. I want to make sure I have the full trust in those guys, knowing they're going to make the right play and they're going to work their hardest to get that puck back, so it's exciting being able to go out on the ice with them every shift.

Personally, I'm still learning, game by game, day by day. There's always something to improve. I'll always look back at previous games and make sure I'm improving on all the things that are important like maintaining your structure and the little details. I think that's a big piece. I just have to balance it all out and make sure I'm improving day by day, and that just comes with making sure you're maturing as a player.

We play two tough games against Northeastern this weekend (Friday and Saturday). They're a great team, very fast. We need to be ready to play from the start of the first period. If we go out there and give it our all, we'll find a way.

I'm a big fan of the (U.S.) Thanksgiving holiday. I know the family of BC senior Connor Joyce and sophomore Nolan Joyce usually has members of the team go over their family's house for a big dinner each Thanksgiving, so that's kind of a big tradition for the guys here. I'll probably call my parents and figure out what I'll be doing, but I love the food and have always enjoyed watching football and some hockey on Thanksgiving Day.

Thanks for reading this month and Happy Thanksgiving. I'll check back in December.