Hauppauge's James Hagens hopes to be No. 1 draft pick for the Islanders
The team that drafts James Hagens is getting a 5-foot, 11-inch forward who's played for the USA Developmental team for two years.
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By now, the photo of a young James Hagens in an Islanders uniform and a hockey helmet that just barely shows his eyes has made the rounds.
It's been in newspapers, magazines and shown on TV.
In the photo, James is posing with his brother, Michael and his dad. But no one in the photo would have expected what James' hockey life has turned into.
"Chasing these dreams. Chasing to be in this moment. The kid in that photo would be very surprised," Hagens told News12 has they chatted on the deck behind Hagens' Hauppauge home on a sunny June day.
Hagens' dream was to play in the NHL. It will come true Friday night at the NHL Draft in Los Angeles. Hagens could be, and wants to be, the first player picked.
"Just the competitive nature of it. I want to be the first pick off the board, but you also want to go to a place that wants you the most," he said.
That team could be his hometown New York Islanders. They have the No. 1 pick for the fourth time in franchise history after a stunning win at the NHL Draft Lottery. It will be the Islanders first No. 1 pick since they drafted John Tavares in 2009 and Hagens hopes the Islanders call his name.
"It would be great for my family," he said. "It would be special bringing a Stanley Cup home to where you grew up and where it all started. But no matter what team picks you, I think it would be really cool to win a Stanley Cup."
The team that drafts Hagens is getting a 5-foot, 11-inch forward who's played for the USA Developmental team for two years. He won two world championships and set the scoring record at last year's under 18 world championships. He also played at Boston College this year and averaged a point per game.
Hagens said he was "surrounded by some of the best young hockey players in the world" on those teams. He said it also taught him the importance of "being coachable."
He'll leave for the NHL Draft in Los Angeles on Wednesday. He said he'll have about 40 friends and family with him in L.A. He knows many of them want him to end up in an Islanders jersey. He said he's just hoping to end up on a team that is a good fit for him, and he said he'll remember the teams that don't pick him.
"That will be something that stays in my head. And then I'll just show them on the ice," he said.
