{"id":546823,"date":"2026-03-26T17:35:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T17:35:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/546823\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T17:35:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T17:35:09","slug":"how-did-james-hagens-fare-in-his-pro-debut-with-p-bruins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/546823\/","title":{"rendered":"How did James Hagens fare in his pro debut with P-Bruins?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBoston Bruins\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tHagens didn’t record a point, but he did showcase his skating ability on the power play Wednesday in Springfield.<\/p>\n

\"Bruins
\n\tJames Hagens made his pro debut with the Providence Bruins on Wednesday. David L Ryan\/ Boston Globe Staff\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Conor Ryan<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarch 26, 2026 | 8:13 AM\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

2 minutes to read<\/p>\n

Less than a week after his collegiate season at Boston College came to a close at TD Garden, James Hagens was back on the ice \u2014 except this time at Springfield\u2019s MassMutual Center.<\/p>\n

The Bruins<\/a>\u2019 top prospect \u2014 who signed an AHL amateur tryout contract on Monday \u2014\u00a0 made his pro debut on Wednesday with the Providence Bruins, logging top-line minutes in Providence\u2019s 2-1 victory.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was a quiet night on the score sheet for Hagens, with the 19-year-old forward recording zero points in the victory. <\/p>\n

Riley Tufte and Jake Schmaltz both scored for Providence, while Michael DiPietro stopped 25 shots en route to the P-Bruins\u2019 48th win of the season. <\/p>\n

Hagens \u2014 who primarily skated on the wing on Providence\u2019s top line with Patrick Brown and Matej Blumel \u2014\u00a0did land three shots on net and showcased some flashes of his high-end skill during Wednesday\u2019s win.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As expected, Hagens was most noticeable with the puck on his stick \u2014 especially in regards to his transition game and generating clean entries.<\/p>\n

Providence\u2019s power play went 0-for-4 on Wednesday, but Hagens popped on several instances when it came to ferrying the puck through the neutral zone \u2014 making life easier for the rest of his teammates on the man advantage.<\/p>\n

Even though the expectations are that Hagens will begin his pro career on the wing, he did win a few critical faceoffs in the offensive zone for the P-Bruins as well. He could have landed a few pucks on net against Springfield, but he flubbed a few one-time attempts as well on the man advantage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There were also some expected growing pains, especially in the early going of Wednesday\u2019s matchup.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hagens took his fair share of licks in the opening period against Springfield \u2014 a wake-up call that all younger players inevitably face when making the jump from the collegiate game to the punishment that awaits in the pro ranks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hagens \u2014 at 5-foot-11 \u2014 isn\u2019t a power forward. But it was encouraging to see him skate him into a scrum and try to stand up for Brown \u2014 even if his efforts led to him getting put into a headlock.<\/p>\n

As was the case at Boston College, Hagens is not going to be the type of player who strikes fear into opposing skaters via a glass-shattering hit. But the young forward doesn\u2019t exactly shy away from scrapping for pucks along the boards or skating into Grade-A ice, either.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just that his knack for winning those board battles in college is understandably going to take a hit moving forward \u2014 at least until he tacks on a bit more muscle in the coming years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

All things considered, it was a solid \u2014 if not unspectacular \u2014 debut for Hagens, who will be given ample time to build up his game as he looks to find his footing at the pro level.<\/p>\n

Hagens and the P-Bruins will return to game action on Saturday, when they host Bridgeport at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Profile\t<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the Today newsletter<\/p>\n

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