Tuesday was the second day of USA Hockey selection camp to help determine the final 25-player roster for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship to be held in Ottawa from Dec. 26-Jan. 5. The camp, which includes three goalies, 10 defensemen and 16 forwards, will resume at INVISTA Centre in Kingston, Ontario, on Wednesday.
PLYMOUTH, Mich. — James Hagens has been looking forward to this moment with the United States National Junior Team for the past 365 days.
The 18-year-old Boston College freshman forward was the last player cut from the U.S. team that went on to win the gold medal at the 2024 World Juniors in Gothenburg, Sweden.
He’s learned his lesson and doesn’t intend to hold back in solidifying a big role for the U.S. at the 2025 WJC in Ottawa.
“I mean, obviously it’s something special … being invited to camp and having the opportunity to make this team,” Hagens told NHL.com. “It’s just understanding you got to take the opportunity and run with it. You got to go out there and prove why you want to make this team and got to give it your all and show that you want to help this team bring home gold.”
Barring an injury, Hagens (5-foot-10, 177 pounds), a projected top-four selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, will be part of the team and play an integral role as the No. 1 center.
“He’s just a year more mature, confident,” said U.S. coach David Carle, who coached the 2024 WJC team. “I think playing at the college level and getting off to an excellent start as well really helps. So size and confidence are the two biggest areas I would say are different from last year.”
Hagens is second for Boston College in assists (15) and points (20) and is first with a plus-15 rating in 16 games. He had five points (four goals, one assist) during a four-game point streak prior to leaving for selection camp.
“The biggest thing is just understanding you can’t take a night off and it’s going to be tough [in college],” Hagens said. “Obviously Hockey East is physical and guys like to finish their hits, but that’s hockey and it’s part of the game. You just have to make sure you’re managing it the best you can, giving it your all and not shying away from that stuff.”
Here are three other things learned at select camp Tuesday:
‘Eagles Express’ is ready to roll
Hagens likely will center what should turn out to be one of the most entertaining lines at World Juniors with left wing Gabe Perreault (New York Rangers) and right wing Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals).
That line already is a regular group at Boston College.
“It’s a special line,” U.S. general manager John Vanbiesbrouck said. “There’s pressure there and I hope they just play hockey because when they just play, they’re dynamic. Sometimes you get caught up and I know that [Leonard] wants to be a leader, and he is, but just let it happen. You don’t have to jump in the phone booth and put the costume on, because you’re already there. They’re young guys and they’re adjusting but they’re world-class players.”
Hagens, Perreault and Leonard are three of six BC players that were invited to select camp. Perreault leads the Eagles and is tied for fourth among NCAA players with 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) in 16 games, and Leonard is tied for the NCAA lead with 12 goals.
“We started them together [at camp] and I thought they made some plays and did some things,” Carle said. “Talking to [Boston College coach] Greg Brown, the chemistry those other three [Perreault, Will Smith, Leonard] had at BC [and the 2024 WJC] last year was so hard to emulate. So it’s not easy for [Hagens], and from what we’ve seen and in talking to the guys at BC, that chemistry has grown a lot in the last four weeks. So I think it’s absolutely worth sticking with it for a little bit.”
Top defense pairing
Drew Fortescue (New York Rangers) possesses the size (6-1, 176), strength and intellect to play beside some of hockey’s finest offensive defensemen. That’s not a slight on the 19-year-old defensive-minded skater with Boston College; rather, a skill he’s proud to provide.
Fortescue was paired with Seamus Casey (New Jersey Devils) at the 2024 WJC and had four points (one goal, three assists) with a plus-6 rating while averaging 16:54 of ice time in seven games. Casey had six assists and a plus-8 rating in six games.
Based on defense pairs at camp this week, it appears Fortescue will play on the top pair alongside Zeev Buium (Minnesota Wild) at the 2025 WJC.
“We played together a little bit on USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and he’s obviously a highly skilled player and can make some unbelievable plays,” Fortescue said. “He’s also a guy who’s reliable in the defensive zone. But since I’m kind of more of a stay-at-home guy, Zeev will be doing all the offense and I’ll be there to help support him. I think our styles of game complements the other and he’s a guy I’d love to play with.”
Carle said Fortescue’s intelligence is what makes him so consistent.
“He’s never out of position so I think his awareness on the defensive side, but also the offensive side, is really good,” Carle said. “He makes a good first pass, but he understands working the width of the ice. And knowing that someone like Zeev or Seamus might be in a little bit of a different spot, maybe they’re out so he’s got to get closer to him, or he’s got to get a little further back. I just think he’s really bright at reading the game and doesn’t get rattled real often. I have a lot of time for Drew and what he is for us and what he can become.”
Eiserman exhibiting confidence, big shot
Cole Eiserman, selected in the first round (No. 20) by the New York Islanders in the 2024 NHL Draft, entered camp with a new look and fresh attitude after four months under coach Jay Pandolfo at Boston University.
“It’s obviously a very hard division [Hockey East], a lot of older, bigger teams, and it’s different hockey. But that’s been something Coach Pandolfo has been great with,” Eiserman told NHL.com. “You have to kind of change the way you play sometimes for different teams and that’s just a pro-style type game. He gets it. He’s done it for a while and it’s really good to kind of listen to him.”
Eiserman wasn’t invited to USA Hockey’s selection camp for the 2024 WJC and has looked forward to this opportunity for some time.
“Obviously not making the team last year and knowing what it feels like to kind of not make a team, and for it to come this year and to kind of have that feeling back of being able to be here, I’m just really grateful,” he said. “I want to work hard, be a good player on this team and help win gold.”
Eiserman leads Boston University with nine goals and is tied for second with 15 points in 16 games as a freshman.
“I think that high-risk players like making high-risk plays and we hear all the terminology of how puck management goes,” Vanbiesbrouck said. “But you got to take what happens with these types of players and not always over-evaluate … you got to make mistakes. It’s a game of mistakes. There’s no out of bounds and that’s why we got good goaltending, good defense. They need to be free enough to know that they can make mistakes and make plays. And I think that with Cole, he’s very aware he’s playing for Jay Pandolfo and Jay was one of the best two-way players in the NHL. That’s why they won Stanley Cups in New Jersey because of guys like Jay Pandolfo, so he’s obviously working with him and his game is maturing.”
Eiserman has been working on two different lines during camp as the coaches continue to evaluate. He was with Brodie Ziemer (Buffalo Sabres) and Danny Nelson (New York Islanders) on Monday, and Max Plante (Detroit Red Wings) and Oliver Moore (Chicago Blackhawks) on Tuesday.
“I’ve been playing a lot better 4-on-4 or 5-on-5, possessing more pucks and getting to the net, and not just on power play while at BU,” Eiserman said. “Knowing when to get the puck out and kind of live to fight another day, which you got to do in college hockey.”
USA HOCKEY SELECT CAMP ROSTER
GOALIES: * Trey Augustine, Michigan State, NCAA (Detroit Red Wings); * Samuel Hillebrandt, Barrie, OHL (2025 draft eligible); Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan, NCAA (Los Angeles Kings)
DEFENSEMEN: * Zeev Buium, Denver, NCAA (Minnesota Wild); EJ Emery, North Dakota, NCAA (New York Rangers); Blake Fiddler, Edmonton, WHL (2025 draft eligible); Paul Fischer, Notre Dame, NCAA (Edmonton Oilers); * Drew Fortescue, Boston College, NCAA (New York Rangers); Logan Hensler, Wisconsin, NCAA (2025 draft eligible); Cole Hutson, Boston University, NCAA (Washington Capitals); Adam Kleber, Minnesota Duluth, NCAA (Buffalo Sabres); * Aram Minnetian, Boston College, NCAA (Dallas Stars); Colin Ralph, St. Cloud State, NCAA (St. Louis Blues)
FORWARDS: Austin Burnevik, St. Cloud State, NCAA (Anaheim Ducks); Trevor Connelly, Providence, NCAA (Vegas Golden Knights); Cole Eiserman, Boston University, NCAA (New York Islanders); James Hagens, Boston College, NCAA (2025 draft eligible); * Ryan Leonard, Boston College, NCAA (Washington Capitals); * Oliver Moore, Minnesota, NCAA (Chicago Blackhawks); * Danny Nelson, Notre Dame, NCAA (New York Islanders); Christopher Pelosi, Quinnipiac, NCAA (Boston Bruins); Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth, NCAA (Detroit Red Wings); * Gabe Perreault, Boston College, NCAA (New York Rangers); AJ Spellacy, Windsor, OHL (Chicago Blackhawks); Teddy Stiga, Boston College, NCAA (Nashville Predators); Brandon Svoboda, Boston University, NCAA (San Jose Sharks); * Carey Terrance, Erie, OHL (Anaheim Ducks); Joey Willis, Saginaw, OHL (Nashville Predators); Brodie Ziemer, Minnesota, NCAA (Buffalo Sabres)
* — Denotes returning player
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