James Hagens Reflects On 'Special' Bruins Debut

Boston Bruins forward James Hagens

James Hagens Reflects On 'Special' Bruins Debut originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

James Hagens made his NHL debut on Sunday in the Boston Bruins’ 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Boston selected Hagens seventh overall, and he signed his entry-level deal earlier in the week after his college season came to an end. After being a scratch on Saturday, Hagens entered the lineup and had 13 friends and family members in the building, including his mom, dad, brother and sister.

Hagens picked up his first NHL point with a secondary assist on Henry Jokiharju’s goal late in the second period. The top prospect finished the game with 13:08 of ice time and had one assist, one shot on goal, and two penalty minutes.

“It was really cool looking up in warmups and seeing them there,” Hagens said as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “Seeing how much support they have for me. They flew out this morning, so it means a lot to have them here. To be able to get that win, it was special.”

Hagens skated on the third line with Marat Khusnutdinov and Fraser Minten, and Bruins head coach Marco Sturm was pleased with how that line played.

“I thought he was good,” Sturm said of Hagens. “I thought the whole line was great. They used their speed, they were not afraid to make plays, they made a lot of good decisions. They never really got in trouble. Coming in here in Columbus, like you all know, it’s a tough building. I was curious for James, too, how he was going to handle it, and I thought he did a good job.”

Although Hagens made an impact, whether or not he will remain in the lineup for the playoffs is to be seen.

Boston will conclude its regular season on Tuesday at home against the New Jersey Devils.

More NHL: Bruins Pleased With 'Great Win' Over Blue Jackets Despite Resting Key Players