ESPOO, Finland – The U18 World Hockey Championships are often the very last chance for draft-eligible players to show the scouts what they’re made of. It’s a marquee event and offers up an opportunity to prove your mettle on a big stage in high-pressure situations.

For James Hagens, there remain plenty of chances to show his stuff because he isn’t eligible to be selected until the 2025 draft. But that doesn’t mean he’s taking this opportunity for granted.

“This is a tournament that you want to go in and win gold,” Hagens said. “To be able to do it with the group of guys you have been here with for two years, it means more.”

Hagens knows a thing or two about getting that gold around his neck. The Long Island native spent the majority of the 2022-23 season with the U17 side of the US National T