As the 2025 NHL Entry Draft began, the Boston Bruins were holding the seventh pick in Los Angeles. After falling as low as they could in the NHL Draft Lottery that season after finishing tied for last place in the Eastern Conference with the Philadelphia Flyers, they needed some luck to get an impactful player.
They also needed their scouting department to point general manager Don Sweeney in the right direction to get the pick right. I know that is easier said than done, given the Bruins' drafting history under Sweeney over the last decade. When the dust settled and the Black and Gold were on the clock, they had a player available that they couldn't risk passing on. James Hagens.
Read More: Boston Bruins have an easy decision to make when James Hagens signs
Once seen as a player who could have been drafted higher, Hagens fell all the way down to them at No. 7. That made the decision a no-brainer, even for Sweeney and the Bruins. Hagens recently took part in an ESPN rookie roundtable with Emily Kaplan and had a funny answer whne it came to how he was going to spend his first NHL check.
James Hagens drops a funny line about spending his first Bruins check as a pro
It took Hagens a little longer than some of the young prospects who were drafted around him to sign his entry-level contract. He played another season at Boston College in 2025-26 before signing a PTO with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL). In mid-April, he signed his entry-level deal with Boston. How was he spending that first check? Here is Kaplan's question: "First NHL paycheck, what are you spending it on?''
"I actually didn't. I guess just food, probably Chipotle,'' said Hagens.
I mean, that's funny, no? Spending their first paycheck is something that you would think a young rising star like Hagens would go big or go home. Maybe buy something for his parents, who did so much for him growing up to give him the opportunity to be drafted? Buy his own car? A down payment on a house or condo? Chipotle?
Hagens is going to make himself a lot of money in the NHL, and he'll have plenty of opportunity to spend it on a lot of things, maybe things better than Chipotle. Something tells me that Hagens is going to be dropping some great quotes throughout his career.
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