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Brandon Hagel

Brandon Hagel
Hagel with the Tampa Bay Lightning in January 2023
Born (1998-08-27) August 27, 1998 (age 26)
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 179 lb (81 kg; 12 st 11 lb)
Position Left wing
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams
Tampa Bay Lightning
Chicago Blackhawks
National team  Canada
NHL draft 159th overall, 2016
Buffalo Sabres
Playing career 2019–present

Brandon Hagel (born August 27, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). After making his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks on March 11, 2020, the NHL season was postponed due to COVID-19.

During his four-season tenure with the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League (WHL), he set a new franchise record for most assists.

Playing career

Hagel began his Bantam and Midget AAA ice hockey career with the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers in the Alberta Midget Hockey League (AMHL).[1] In spite of recording 41 points in 33 games during the 2012–13 AMHL season, he was overlooked in the 2013 Western Hockey League (WHL) Bantam draft being too slight. Following this, he finished third in the AMJHL in scoring and was named to the Second All-Star Team.[2] He finished his Bantam and Midget career playing with the Whitecourt Wolverines and recording one goal and two assists in two games.[1]

Major junior

On September 17, 2015, Hagel was signed as a free agent by the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League (WHL).[1] In his rookie season with the team, he helped lead them to the 2016 Memorial Cup against the London Knights[3] and earned a final ranking of 104th overall by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.[4] He attributed much of his success to head coach and GM Brent Sutter, saying "[h]aving Brent as a coach, he pushes you every night. You have to get into the hard areas and the dirty areas for success to come....That’s what has sunk in is that for success to come, those things have to happen first. When those happen, success is going to come."[5] Hagel was eventually selected 159th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.[6]

Prior to the 2017–18 season, Hagel participated in both the Rebels and Sabres' training camps. During a scrimmage with the Rebels, Hagel suffered a knee-on-knee injury and was expected to be returned to the WHL to complete the season.[7] In spite of this, he was named an alternate captain and recorded three goals and two assists in back-to-back games against the Edmonton Oil Kings.[8] Although he was healthy to begin the season, Hagel experienced an upper body injury and missed six weeks to recover.[9]

By June 1, 2018, the Sabres were unable to sign Hagel to a contract and relinquished their rights to him, allowing him to become eligible for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.[10] He was subsequently invited to the Montreal Canadiens training camp on a tryout basis but began to 2018–19 season with the Rebels.[11] After recording 30 points in 19 games, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks worth $925,000.[12] He continued his success through his final season in the WHL, where he set a new franchise record for most assists and was selected for the WHL Eastern Conference Second All-Star Team.[13] Hagel surpassed Arron Asham's 161 former franchise assist record on February 9, 2019, in a game against the Moose Jaw Warriors.[14] On March 1, 2019, Hagel scored his 100th WHL point and 38th goal of the season in a 7–4 loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers.[15]

Professional

Chicago Blackhawks

After the Rebels were knocked out of the 2019 WHL playoffs, Hagel joined the Blackhawks American Hockey League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, for eight games and recorded one point.[16] He attended the Blackhawks training camp prior to the 2018–19 season but was assigned to the Rockford IceHogs to begin the 2018–19 season.[17] Hagel made his NHL debut on March 11, 2020, the day before the NHL season was postponed due to COVID-19.[18]

As a black ace in the Blackhawks return to play first-round playoff exit, Hagel was unable to feature in a game. With the following 2020–21 season to be delayed, Hagel was loaned to second tier Swiss League (SL) club, HC Thurgau, on September 30, 2020.[19]

As a restricted free agent with the Blackhawks following his breakout 2020–21 season, Hagel was re-signed to a three-year, $4.5 million contract extension on August 6, 2021.[20]

In his third season with the Blackhawks in 2021–22, with the team well out of contention for the playoffs and having established new career marks with 21 goals and 37 points through 55 games, Hagel was traded by Chicago alongside two fourth-round draft picks to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for two first-round picks in 2023 (Oliver Moore) and 2024, Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk on March 18, 2022.[21]

Tampa Bay Lightning

Hagel played the remainder of the 2021–22 season with the Lightning, posting 4 goals and 7 points through 22 games. During the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, he posted 2 goals and 6 points with the Lightning en route to an appearance in the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals, in which they were defeated by the Colorado Avalanche in six games.[22]

In his first full season with the Lightning in 2022–23, Hagel had a breakout year, with 30 goals and 64 points in 81 games. He set new career marks in each category, and ranked 4th on the team in scoring.[22] In the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, he posted 1 goal and 5 points in a six-game first round exit to their Atlantic Division rival Toronto Maple Leafs.[22]

On August 22, 2023, Hagel and the Lightning agreed to an 8 year contract extension with an average value of $6.5 million.[citation needed]

In the 2023-2024 NHL season, Hagel had a career-best season with 75 points across 82 regular season games. He registered 5 points in 5 games in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs before the Lightning were eliminated in the first round.[23]

On 10 February 2025, Hagel was named the NHL's first star of the week. He received this award after recording a league-high 4 goals and 4 assists through the week ending February 9.[24]

International play

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Latvia

Hagel's success in the 2020–21 NHL season saw him earn his first invitation to represent Canada internationally, joining the senior national team for the 2021 IIHF World Championship. He called the opportunity "something special."[25] He did not register a point in the course of the tournament, which saw Team Canada lose its first three games before rallying to make a deep run to the championship game, where they defeated Finland for the gold medal.[26]

Following the Tampa Bay Lightning's ouster in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, Hagel again joined Team Canada for the 2024 IIHF World Championship.[27]

In December 2024, the NHL and NHLPA announced that Hagel would be a part of Canada's 23-player roster for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, which replaced the 2025 NHL All-Star Game.[28] Notably, in a game against the United States, Brandon Hagel and Matthew Tkachuk began to fight immediately following the opening puck drop.[29] This started a series of brawls, with play stopped three separate times due to fighting in the first nine seconds.[30] Team Canada and Hagel won the tournament after eliminating the United States in the final with a 3-2 overtime victory.[31]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2014–15 Whitecourt Wolverines AJHL 6 1 1 2 0 4 0 1 1 0
2015–16 Whitecourt Wolverines AJHL 3 1 2 3 2
2015–16 Red Deer Rebels WHL 72 13 34 47 46 17 1 9 10 18
2016–17 Red Deer Rebels WHL 65 31 40 71 85 7 7 1 8 10
2017–18 Red Deer Rebels WHL 56 18 41 59 45 5 5 1 6 16
2018–19 Red Deer Rebels WHL 66 41 61 102 80 4 4 2 6 8
2018–19 Rockford IceHogs AHL 8 0 1 1 2
2019–20 Rockford IceHogs AHL 59 19 12 31 39
2019–20 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 1 0 0 0 0
2020–21 HC Thurgau SL 14 8 7 15 8
2020–21 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 52 9 15 24 11
2021–22 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 55 21 16 37 23
2021–22 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 22 4 3 7 8 23 2 4 6 25
2022–23 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 81 30 34 64 54 6 1 4 5 0
2023–24 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 82 26 49 75 79 5 3 2 5 2
2024-2025 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 55 26 36 62 40
NHL totals 348 116 153 269 215 34 6 10 16 27

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2021 Canada WC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 10 0 0 0 0
2024 Canada WC 4th 10 3 4 7 2
2025 Canada 4N 1st place, gold medalist(s) 4 0 1 1 5
Senior totals 24 3 5 8 7

Awards and honours

Award Year Ref
Juniors
AMHL Second All-Star team 2015
WHL (East) Second All-Star team 2019
International
World Championship gold medal 2021
4 Nations Face-Off champion 2025 [32]

Personal life

Hagel was born on August 27, 1998, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, but was raised in Morinville, Alberta.[33] He grew up idolizing Alexander Ovechkin, even decorating his childhood bedroom with an Ovechkin theme. Raised in a small town, he is the son of a sales manager in the roofing industry and a mother who worked in insurance. He has two siblings, a brother, Tyler, and a sister, Chelsea.[34] During his junior hockey career, Hagel considered stepping away from professional hockey. At the start of the 2018 Junior A season, he planned to pursue a college education and become a teacher if he did not receive an NHL contract by December of that year.[35] He had already registered for classes[36] when, in October 2018, he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks, marking the beginning of his professional hockey career. Since joining the Tampa Bay Lightning, Hagel has been actively involved in the NHL’s Hockey Talks initiative, which promotes mental health awareness. His advocacy in this area has been influenced by personal experiences, as he has lost three family members to suicide since 2017.[37] Hagel is currently in a relationship with Gabriella (Gabby) Dini.[34]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Rebels Add Brandon Hagel". reddeerrebels.com. Red Deer Rebels. September 17, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  2. ^ "Passed over in bantam draft, Hagel now an NHL prospect". reddeerrebels.com. Red Deer Rebels. September 29, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  3. ^ Morreale, Mike G. (2016). "Tkachuk leads London into Memorial Cup". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  4. ^ "2016 NHL Central Scouting Rankings - NA Skaters/Goaltenders". tsn.ca. The Sports Network. April 12, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  5. ^ Coccimiglio, Brad (November 5, 2018). "CHL Notebook: Hagel taking game to another level with Red Deer". sportsnet.ca. Sportsnet. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  6. ^ "Three Rebels Taken In NHL Draft". reddeerrebels.com. Red Deer Rebels. June 27, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  7. ^ Baker, Kris (September 13, 2017). "CHL-eligible prospects set for start of Sabres camp". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  8. ^ Meachem, Greg (September 27, 2017). "Hagel and Rebels teammates off to a hot start". reddeerrebels.com. Red Deer Rebels. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  9. ^ Meachem, Greg (March 15, 2018). "Hagel and linemates dominating WHL opponents in timely fashion". reddeerrebels.com. Red Deer Rebels. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  10. ^ @BuffaloSabres (June 1, 2018). "The Buffalo Sabres have relinquished the rights to Brandon Hagel, Austin Osmanski and Vojtech Budik and all three are now eligible for the 2018 #NHLDraft" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. ^ "With return of Alexeyev, Barteaux, Rebels have full roster to open regular season". reddeerrebels.com. Red Deer Rebels. September 19, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  12. ^ Grant, Robin (November 13, 2018). "Rebels Forward Brandon Hagel signs deal with Chicago Blackhawks". Red Deer Express. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  13. ^ Hackett, Byron (March 20, 2019). "Rebels Brandon Hagel named WHL Eastern Conference second-team all-star". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  14. ^ Hackett, Byron (February 9, 2019). "Hagel sets new franchise assists mark, Rebels fall 2-1 to Moose Jaw". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  15. ^ "Rebels gain all-important point in shootout loss to Raiders". reddeerrebels.com. Red Deer Rebels. March 1, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  16. ^ Hackett, Byron (December 5, 2019). "Hagel flourishing in early days of pro hockey". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  17. ^ "Rockford IceHogs Training Camp to begin Sept. 30". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  18. ^ Taft, Jay (March 17, 2020). "NHL dreams on hold for Nicolas Beaudin, Brandon Hagel". Rockford Register Star. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  19. ^ Chicago Blackhawks (September 30, 2020). "Blackhawks loan forward Brandon Hagel to Swiss League". Twitter. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  20. ^ "Blackhawks sign Brandon Hagel to three-year extension". Chicago Blackhawks. August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  21. ^ "Hagel traded to Lightning by Blackhawks". Chicago Blackhawks. March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  22. ^ a b c "Brandon Hagel Stats and News". NHL.com. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  23. ^ "Brandon Hagel". Tampa Bay Lightning Roster. NHL. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  24. ^ "Lightning's Brandon Hagel has been named the NHL's First Star of the week". NHL. Tampa Bay Lightning. February 10, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  25. ^ Umbach, Jamie (June 1, 2021). "Getting over the hump". Hockey Canada. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  26. ^ Tirabassi, Mario (June 6, 2021). "IIHF World Championships Gold Medal: Pirri, Hagel, Beaudin and Canada Top Finland In Overtime". Bleacher Nation. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  27. ^ DeRosa, Michael (May 7, 2024). "Looking at Team Canada's Decision to Swap Celebrini and Fantilli for Dubois, Hagel and Paul". The Hockey News. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  28. ^ NHL/NHLPA Media Release (December 4, 2024). "NHL, NHLPA announce final rosters for 4 Nations Face-Off". NHLPA. NHL. Retrieved February 14, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ Basu, Arpon (February 18, 2025). "Ahead of Canada vs. USA 4 Nations final, Brandon Hagel throws down gauntlet". New York Times. The Athletic. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  30. ^ Basu, Arpon (February 15, 2025). "Canada vs. USA 4 Nations Face-Off game begins with 3 fights in first 9 seconds". New York Times. The Athletic. Archived from the original on February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2025. As the puck was dropped for the game's opening faceoff, Team USA's Matthew Tkachuk and Team Canada's Brandon Hagel dropped the gloves. They had a spirited fight, with each player landing big blows, before Hagel dragged Tkachuk to the ice, triggering a thunderous roar from the sellout Bell Centre crowd.
  31. ^ Golen, Jimmy (February 21, 2025). "Connor McDavid scores in OT to give Canada 3-2 win over United States in 4 Nations Face-Off final". Associated Press. AP NHL. Archived from the original on February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  32. ^ "McDavid's OT winner leads Canada past USA to capture the 4 Nations Face-Off championship". tsn.ca. February 20, 2025.
  33. ^ Rode, Danny (November 17, 2016). "Brandon Hagel-Michael Spacek line combination working out well for Red Deer Rebels". reddeeradvocate.com. Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  34. ^ a b Smith, Joe. "'He looked like Justin Bieber:' How the Lightning's Brandon Hagel 'finds a way to always prove you wrong'". New York Times. The Athletic. Archived from the original on February 15, 2025. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  35. ^ Smith, Joe (February 17, 2023). "Brandon Hagel 'didn't want to go' in the Blackhawks' fire sale — until he heard the destination". New York Times. The Athletic. Archived from the original on February 15, 2025. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  36. ^ Kaplan, Emily (July 14, 2020). "Brandon Hagel's extended wait to play NHL Game No. 2". ESPN. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2025. I was signing up for classes, getting ready to go to school," Hagel says. "My dream was crushed, not signing with an NHL team at first.
  37. ^ Pierce, Benjamin (January 28, 2025). "Hockey Talks about honoring family, spreading hope for Brandon Hagel". NHL. Tampa Bay Lightning. Archived from the original on January 28, 2025. Retrieved February 15, 2025. The sticker honors Hagel's uncle Derek, one of three family members the Lightning forward has lost to suicide since 2017.