Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
A pair of blue-chip NHL prospects, 19-year-old forwards Cole Eiserman and James Hagens, have joined AHL clubs in the past week after electing to turn pro.
Eiserman, the 20th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, made his pro debut with the Bridgeport Islanders on Saturday afternoon. Hagens, taken seventh overall last June by the Boston Bruins, is expected to debut with Providence tonight (7 ET, watch free on AHLTV on FloHockey).
A sophomore at Boston College, Hagens topped Hockey East with 47 points (23 goals, 24 assists) in 34 games and is a Hobey Baker Award finalist. Eiserman, a Boston University sophomore, tied for third in Hockey East with 18 goals in 28 games and finished with 28 points in 32 games. The pair won a gold medal together for the United States at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship and also skated at the tournament this winter in Minnesota.
Hagens took his first spin on the ice with Providence on Tuesday morning.
“It was fun,” he said afterward. “It was really exciting being out there [for] my first pro practice. It’s definitely something that I’ll never forget. I’m super grateful that these guys have been so accepting of me coming in today. The second I walked in those doors, they were able to help me out on the ice, just having little [conversations] about what to expect, the drills out there, what to do… It’s such a good group of guys in that locker room. To be around it, it’s just something that you have to soak in.”
Hagens is the latest Boston first-round pick in recent years to come to Providence, a group that includes Fabian Lysell, John Beecher, Jake DeBrusk, Charlie McAvoy, Urho Vaakanainen and David Pastrnak.
The former Beantown collegiate rivals are beginning their pro careers with teams that are hoping to be playing meaningful hockey for a while this spring. League-leading Providence has already clinched a berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs and is bidding for a first-place finish in the overall AHL standings. They also need 17 points in their final 11 games to claim the best regular-season record in league history.
Bridgeport, meanwhile, is currently fifth in an Atlantic Division where just nine points separate fourth place from eighth and six teams qualify for the postseason. Having Eiserman available for the final month of the regular season – and hopefully more – means additional valuable pro experience for the 19-year-old.
Hagens, meanwhile, is another boost for a Providence team that already ranks third in the AHL in scoring offense and second in goals allowed. For however long he wears the spoked “P” he will be counted on to contribute to the P-Bruins’ chase for their first Calder Cup since 1999.
“It is s a great chance to showcase your game,” Hagens said of joining Providence, “to be able to be a part of a team like this.”
