Sorry, Boston Bruins fans, but James Hagens isn't ready for his Boston College career to end just yet, as he took control at the Conte Forum to help lead the Eagles to a Hockey East quarter-final victory. It looks like fellow Bruins prospect Dean Letourneau isn't ready to see his friend leave Chestnut Hill just yet, either, as he also helped lead the way on Friday night.
Hagens chipped in two goals and an assist in the victory over Maine, with Letourneau adding a goal and an assist, albeit with both coming on an empty net at the end of the game. However, the pair controlled play for most of the game and willed the team to the victory, including Hagens' nice individual effort that put the Eagles up 2-0 early in the first period.
With a bunch of Bruins executives in the stands watching, presumably with the thinking that this could be Hagens' last game and he could be signing with the team as early as this weekend, the Eagles put forth one of their best efforts of the season to advance to the semi-finals next weekend at TD Garden.
While it's unfortunate that the Bruins won't be able to sign Hagens this weekend, the Eagles will likely still have to win the tournament to get a spot in the NCAA Finals, meaning there's a good chance that this next week will be the last of Hagens' college career. With the offense sputtering in Boston, the front office might be hopeful that the Eagles find a way to lose next weekend so their top prospect can be in the lineup quicker.
Craig Button's high praise for James Hagens, Dean Letourneau
Craig Button released his list of the top-50 NHL-affiliated prospects on Friday, and while Hagens was a lock to be high on the list, Letourneau's inclusion at 13 is another example of his rapid growth this season. The more surprising thing might be that Button had Hagens as low as 11 after his play over the past two months with the Eagles.
The Eagles' forwards are the only two Bruins on Button's list, but if you had told fans last year when the prospect cupboards were bare that Boston would've had two in the top-15, they would've taken it.
While most verdicts are still out on Don Sweeney, it's hard to deny that he has turned around the organization's future over the past two years. Even his decision to give up on Linus Ullmark for Letourneau looks great now, given the goaltender's struggles in Ottawa and the prospect's rise at Boston College this season.
The Bruins' prospect pool is in a great place, and with potentially five first-round picks over the next three years, it should only get better.