OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) 鈥� James Hagens watched Macklin Celebrini closely last season as the player eventually picked No. 1 at the NHL Draft went about his business on the ice in impressive fashion.
Hagens was perhaps even more focused on how Celebrini stayed sharp amid all the attention.
鈥淣ever let anything affect him,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou always saw him calm and collected. He went about it every day just working toward getting better. Everything works its way out.鈥�
It鈥檚 an approach Hagens brought to his freshman NCAA season at Boston College facing similar expectations and has carried to the 2025 world junior hockey tournament. The 18-year-old center, who鈥檚 in the mix to be the top pick in June, had five goals and 15 assists in 16 games at Boston College before joining the U.S. team for the under-20 tournament.
Celebrini had a banner 2023-24 season with 32 goals and 32 assists in 38 games with Boston University. He guided the Terriers to the Frozen Four and won the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in U.S. college hockey before getting his name called first
Hagens has similar dreams as he navigates what can be a head-spinning draft process.
鈥淚鈥檝e never seen him at all worried,鈥� Boston College associate coach Brendan Buckley told the Canadian Press. 鈥淗e just goes about his business with a smile. You would never know he has all those expectations. He鈥檚 just one of the guys.鈥�
Buckley was impressed when informed the player from Hauppauge, New York, kept tabs on how Celebrini handled his attention-filled freshman season.
鈥淗e鈥檚 willing to take it upon himself to do the little things to get better,鈥� said the former Boston College captain. 鈥淪ome kids might overlook a little aspect like that, but little things can make it a bit easier along the way.鈥�
Hagens so far at world juniors has two goals and four assists through three games playing between NCAA linemates Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault.
鈥淜nows what he鈥檚 capable of and how good he really is,鈥� said Leonard, the No. 8 pick by the Washington Capitals at the 2023 draft. 鈥淗e鈥檚 in a really good spot.鈥�
The five-foot-11 179-pound Hagens has experienced plenty of success in a career that saw him play two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program. He鈥檚 also had disappointment, including getting cut at age 17 from last year鈥檚 world junior team that went onto capture gold in Sweden.
鈥淪omething that motivated me every day to train harder and be ready for this moment,鈥� Hagens explained. 鈥淲ith every opportunity you get, you鈥檝e got to make sure you earn it. Nothing鈥檚 going to be given.鈥�
He was on the American squad that lost to Canada in the final at the under-18 world championship.
鈥淭hat was hard,鈥� said Hagens, who went one better than Nikita Kucherov鈥檚 previous tournament record of 21 points. 鈥淪omething that just motivates everyone that was there.鈥�
U.S. coach David Carle said he sees a different player from the one he sent home last December.
鈥淧hysically, mentally a year further 鈥� more ready for the challenge,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to lean on him.鈥�
Hagens is eager to have that weight on his shoulders.
鈥砓ou鈥檝e got to be grateful if you鈥檙e a guy that has pressure,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something that comes with a privilege. You want to be in that moment where there鈥檚 pressure on you and on your team. You have to let your instincts take over. There鈥檚 nothing you shouldn鈥檛 be ready for.鈥�
Hagens also knows the draft gauntlet he鈥檚 about to run along with two top Canadian prospects in 17-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who鈥檚 injured and out of the world juniors, and 18-year-old winger Porter Martone. The Americans play Canada on Tuesday night in their group play finale.
Leonard, the American captain, said having fellow top prospects at the event should offer plenty of motivation: 鈥淚t would fire me up.鈥�
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