James Hagens, selected No. 7 by the Boston Bruins in the 2025 NHL Draft, is one of 28 players who will take part in USA Hockey’s final evaluation camp for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
The camp will be held Dec. 15-23 at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minnesota, and will set the 25-player roster for the WJC, which will be held in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dec. 26-Jan. 5. The final U.S. roster is expected to be announced by Dec. 24.
The camp roster includes three goalies, 10 defensemen and 15 forwards. There are eight players chosen in the first round of the NHL Draft and eight in the second round.
Hagens leads Boston College with nine goals and 16 points in 14 games as a sophomore this season. He had nine points (five goals, four assists) in seven games to help the U.S. win a second straight gold medal at the 2025 WJC in Ottawa.
Hagens and Nashville Predators forward prospect Teddy Stiga are teammates at Boston College and two of nine players attending the camp who competed at the 2025 WJC.
Also returning are defensemen Cole Hutson (Washington Capitals), Logan Hensler (Ottawa Senators) and Adam Kleber (Buffalo Sabres), and forwards Cole Eiserman (New York Islanders), Trevor Connelly (Vegas Golden Knights), Max Plante (Detroit Red Wings), and Brody Ziemer (Sabres).
“We’re excited about the group of players we’ve named,” U.S. National Junior Team general manager John Vanbiesbrouck said. “It’s always difficult to narrow it down, but we’re set for what we know will be a very competitive camp that will help us get to our final roster.”
Three players invited to camp are eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft: goalie A.J. Reyelts with Penticton of the Western Hockey League, and defensemen Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen (University of Michigan) and Chase Reid (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Hockey League).
Reid (6-foot-2, 188 pounds) received an A rating from NHL Central Scouting on its preliminary players to watch list for the 2026 draft. He ranks third among OHL defensemen with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) and has 11 power-play points (three goals, eight assists) in 27 games.
“Reid is a calming presence on the ice; there’s always a method behind what he’s doing,” Sault Ste. Marie GM Kyle Raftis said. “By killing plays early, he can help players get up the ice on transition.”
The U.S. looks to win a third straight WJC gold medal for the first time. No country has won three in a row since Canada’s run of five straight from 2005-09.
The U.S. will play in Group A, along with Sweden, Slovakia and Germany at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul. Group B consists of Finland, Czechia, Canada, Latvia and Denmark at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis.
USA HOCKEY WJC SELECTION CAMP ROSTER
GOALIES: Caleb Heil, Madison, USHL (Tampa Bay Lightning); Nicholas Kempf, Notre Dame, NCAA (Washington Capitals); A.J. Reyelts, Penticton, WHL (2026 draft eligible)
DEFENSEMEN: Asher Barnett, Michigan, NCAA (Edmonton Oilers); Henry Brzustewicz, London, OHL (Los Angeles Kings); EJ Emery, North Dakota, NCAA (New York Rangers); Blake Fiddler, Edmonton, WHL (Seattle Kraken); Logan Hensler, Wisconsin, NCAA (Ottawa Senators); Cole Hutson, Boston University, NCAA (Washington Capitals); Adam Kleber, Minnesota Duluth, NCAA (Buffalo Sabres); Luke Osburn, Wisconsin, NCAA (Buffalo Sabres); Chase Reid, Sault Ste. Marie, OHL (2026 draft eligible); Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen, Michigan, NCAA (2026 draft eligible)
FORWARDS: Kamil Bednarik, Boston University, NCAA (New York Islanders); Trevor Connelly, Henderson, AHL (Vegas Golden Knights); Cole Eiserman, Boston University, NCAA (New York Islanders); James Hagens, Boston College, NCAA (Boston Bruins); William Horcoff, Michigan, NCAA (Pittsburgh Penguins); Jacob Kvasnicka, Minnesota, NCAA (New York Islanders); Ryker Lee, Michigan State, NCAA (Nashville Predators); Cole McKinney, Michigan, NCAA (San Jose Sharks); Brendan McMorrow, Denver, NCAA (Los Angeles Kings); John Mooney, Minnesota, NCAA (Montreal Canadiens); Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth, NCAA (Detroit Red Wings); AJ Spellacy-spellacy-8484858), Windsor, OHL (Chicago Blackhawks); Teddy Stiga, Boston College, NCAA (Nashville Predators); Shane Vansaghi, Michigan State, NCAA (Philadelphia Flyers); Brodie Ziemer, Minnesota, NCAA (Buffalo Sabres)
